Turning Point
by MaureenT
Summary: Daniel is transported into the past, where he meets a Goa'uld like no other, one who will play an extraordinary role in history. Will Daniel's presence alter the course of that history or will it lead to something he could never have imagined? COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Turning Point**

**Author:** MaureenT  
**Rating:** T  
**Categories:** Action/Adventure, Drama  
**Content Warning:** Mild Profanity, Violence, Adult Themes  
**Spoilers:** Episodes up to mid-season 4, plus one 6th season and one 7th season episode. I am not listing the episode names because it might spoil the surprise in the first chapter.

**Author's Note:** I can't take credit for the central idea of this story. It was a plot idea posted by AlexMcpherson on my message board in the hopes that someone would write it. I decided to take a crack at it. Alex will also be writing his own take on it. This story takes place in mid-season 4, sometime before The Curse.

CHAPTER ONE

Daniel looked about at the blasted ruins that stretched for as far as the eye could see. There could be no doubt that the destruction had been caused by some kind of war or attack and that it happened a long time ago. Many of the collapsed buildings had been reclaimed by nature, covered over by vines and other plants. What used to be roads and paved courtyards were cracked and broken, grasses and other plants filling the spaces. Despite this, Daniel was able to identify the architecture as early Roman, perhaps sixth or seventh century B.C.

"Well, this place has definitely seen better days," Jack remarked.

"There is evidence that this damage was wrought by an aerial attack," Teal'c observed.

"Goa'uld?"

"Perhaps."

Failing to see more than a handful of intact buildings, Daniel remarked, "Well, whoever it was, they must have been pretty ticked off. They didn't leave much standing. I'm surprised that the gate and DHD still are."

The members of SG-1 slowly made their way through what was once quite a large city, Daniel searching for something that would identify who had lived here and why their city was turned into rubble. His attention was caught by a structure that was set apart from most of the others. It had been severely damaged in the attack, but enough was left standing that he could see that it had been quite large and very ornate, decorated with many reliefs. Beyond crumbling walls were the remains of what most likely used to be gardens. In front was a huge courtyard with toppled, blasted statuary and a very large fountain. The overall shape and size of it as well as the gardens and courtyard led to Daniel guessing what the building had been.

"I think that was the palace," he said.

He spied some writing on what remained of a nearby wall and went over to examine it, immediately recognizing the language as Goa'uld. It proved to be only the first such writing found as they continued through the city. That in itself was not unusual. It was common for the human populations of Goa'uld-controlled worlds to use that language. But the presence of that elaborate palace seemed to indicate that this had not just been a planet under the control of a Goa'uld; one had actually lived here.

There was a frown of thought on Daniel's face. "I wonder what Goa'uld lived here. This architecture is definitely Roman."

"It was not a System Lord," Teal'c said.

"Why do you say that?" Sam asked.

"The palace of a System Lord would not be within the city and would be more defensible in case of attack. The palace here belonged to an individual who had no great fear of an enemy attack."

"Well, judging by the condition of this place, I'd say they made just a wee bit of a mistake in thinking that," Jack observed dryly. "So what kind of Goa'uld wouldn't be afraid that some other snake was going to come and try to kick their ass?"

"Perhaps a minor Goa'uld in the service of a System Lord. If they were considered to be of no great importance, other Goa'uld would not bother attacking them."

"Um, Teal'c, isn't this city awfully big and that palace awfully ornate for a minor Goa'uld of no importance?" Daniel questioned.

The Jaffa nodded his head once in agreement. "Indeed."

After around an hour of winding their way through what was left of a city that Daniel guessed must have been home to hundreds of thousands of people, he spied a building that he immediately identified as a temple. He quickened his pace, hoping that it would provide them with the name of the mysterious Goa'uld.

When they got to the structure, Daniel was relieved to see that it was still partly intact. He started ascending the broad staircase.

"Daniel? Where are you going?" Jack asked.

Daniel looked over his shoulder at the colonel. "Inside."

"Are you sure that's wise? That thing could come toppling down at any minute."

"Jack, these ruins have been standing for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. I seriously doubt that the temple is suddenly going to choose this precise moment to collapse."

"All the same, I think we should stay out."

Daniel let out a sigh. "Jack, what am I?"

"A royal pain in the ass?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "I'm an archeologist, Jack. Don't you think that I might just possibly be qualified to judge when it is and is not safe to enter a ruin?"

The look in Daniel's eyes told the colonel that he'd never hear the end of it if he didn't acquiesce.

"All right. Take Carter with you. Teal'c and I will stay out here so that, if the place topples down around your ears, we'll be able to dig you out."

Daniel and Sam headed up the stairs and into what was left of the temple.

"Don't let him get to you, Daniel," Sam said, seeing the faint look of irritation on her friend's face.

The archeologist glanced at her. "I sometimes think he forgets what I used to do for a living."

"He's just being cautious."

Deciding not to waste any more thought on Jack's attitude, Daniel turned his full attention to his surroundings. The back half of the temple had partially collapsed. Within the rubble, Daniel saw the remains of a large marble statue. As they drew closer to it, he saw that it was of a standing woman. Or at least it used to be standing. Now, it was lying on the ground, nearly broken in half, its head crushed by a fallen column.

Daniel covered the remaining distance, his eyes scanning the rubble. He knelt and began brushing away debris to uncover the low pedestal upon which the statue had stood. He was disappointed to find no writing, having hoped to discover the name of the Goa'uld who lived here.

After searching the place for a while longer, Daniel gave up hope of learning the Goa'uld's identity there.

Seeing his disappointment, Sam said, "Maybe you'll find something somewhere else."

"Yeah, maybe."

They left the temple and joined their teammates.

"Any luck?" Jack asked in a voice with a note of boredom.

"No, although it appears that the Goa'uld was in a female host, if that statue in there was of her."

"Well, I think we've seen enough of this place. There's obviously nothing here that will be of any use against the Goa'uld, and I want to get back home in time to watch tonight's game on TV."

Daniel frowned. "Jack, we haven't even seen a fraction of the city. I'd like to go a little farther, and I'm still hoping that we'll find out what Goa'uld lived here."

"I, too, desire to learn the identity of the Goa'uld," Teal'c stated.

Jack let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll give you two more hours. Then we're heading back."

An hour later, SG-1 had reached the western edge of the city. They saw that they were in a valley. Daniel could picture the valley floor before them dotted with the homes, farms and livestock that would once have existed there. The paved road continued for as far as they could see, possibly all the way to the distant hills.

Daniel spied something hidden amidst a copse of trees. It appeared to be some more ruins, and it was fairly sizeable, by the looks of it. Hoping that its distance from the city spared it from attack, Daniel aimed for it, answering Jack's question about where he was going by pointing at the ruins.

As they drew closer, the archeologist could clearly see that these ruins were different.

"These aren't Roman," he said. His eyes scanned the structure. "I don't recognize the architecture at all. Do you, Teal'c?"

"I do not. I have never before seen a structure with such an appearance."

Daniel was happy to note that the ruins were in fairly good shape. As they reached the doorway, he didn't hesitate stepping inside, his teammates following more cautiously.

Daniel looked around, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light. He noticed some writing on one of the walls and went to it.

"This looks familiar," he said with a frown, trying to figure out where he'd seen it before. He'd been staring at for around ten seconds or so when it suddenly hit him.

"Guys, this is one of the languages that we found on Heliopolis, the one that belonged to the Furlings!"

Sam was immediately beside him. "One of the four races?" she asked excitedly.

Daniel nodded. "Along with the Nox, Asgard and Ancients. This is the first time we've found any other evidence of the Furlings. They're a complete mystery to us."

Sam smiled, her eyes bright. "We need to check out the rest of this place. If the Furlings were as technologically advanced as the others, who knows what we might find here."

"Wouldn't the Goa'uld have found anything that was here?" Jack asked.

"Not necessarily, sir. If a device was hidden well enough, it wouldn't have been found unless it was giving off an energy signature that was detected by a scanner."

Jack let out a sigh. "Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to make it home in time for the game?"

With scanner in hand, Sam went off to start checking every inch of the place, accompanied by Teal'c. Jack stayed with Daniel as the archeologist did his own thing.

Suspecting that the four language panels on the planet they'd named Heliopolis all said more or less the same thing, Daniel used his knowledge of the Norse runes on one of the panels – the language of the Asgard – as a Rosetta Stone for the other three, which Ernest had faithfully recorded in his journal. The problem was that the writing sample was too small to be of much use in actually learning the Furling language, which meant that the chances of him translating more than a fraction of this was all but impossible. However, he was not prepared to give up without at least trying.

Daniel had been studying the text for around twenty minutes when his thought processes were interrupted by Jack.

"How much longer are you going to be at this?"

Daniel glanced at him. "A while."

"Well, staring at these four walls is even less interesting to me than one of your archeological reports, so I'm going to head back outside. Don't wander off too far."

Daniel returned his full attention to the translation as Jack left. He was reaching in his pocket for his field journal when he noticed something through the doorway on the far back wall. A small section of the roof of the room he was in had collapsed, a shaft of hazy sunlight coming in and aiming right through the doorway, brightening the room beyond. In its light, he could see what looked like a stone pedestal. Curious, Daniel entered the room.

Upon closer examination, Daniel saw that the pedestal was not made of stone, but, rather, a dull, dark grey metal. It was circular, with a dome top, like the cap of a mushroom, and stood around four feet high. Around the outer edge of the dome was more writing, individual symbols inside squares. The thing bore a resemblance to a DHD, except that the top was not set at an angle on the base.

Daniel slowly began working his way around the pedestal. When he got to the opposite side, he found a panel protruding from the pedestal with even more writing on it. Thinking that it might be some kind of plaque with an explanation for what the thing was, he focused his attention on it. He bent over to see it better, resting a hand on the edge of the dome. He was startled when something beneath his hand moved. Pulling his hand away, Daniel saw that one of the squares had sunken around half an inch.

"They're buttons," Daniel said aloud, thinking again of a DHD.

No sooner had those words passed his lips when a heavy door sealed the opening, plunging the room into complete darkness.

"Great," Daniel muttered. He fumbled blindly in one of his pockets and pulled out a flashlight. In the glow of its light, he went to the door. An experimental shove proved that he wasn't going to be able to force it open.

Figuring that he was never going to hear the end of this from Jack, Daniel got on the radio. "Jack, come in. This is Daniel." There was no answer. "Jack?" Still nothing. "Sam? Teal'c? Can anybody hear me?"

Realizing that something must be blocking his radio signal, Daniel wondered what he was going to do now. Sooner or later, his teammates would come looking for him. Had any of them noticed this room? If not, they could look right past the closed door and not even realize that there was something beyond.

Daniel shone his flashlight around the room. If it was airtight, how long would it take for him to run out of air?

Trying not to worry, Daniel returned to the pedestal. Obviously, the button he'd inadvertently pressed was what had closed the door. He just had to figure out which one would open it.

Carefully, Daniel studied each symbol. What little he had learned about the Furling language indicated that each character stood for both a letter and a word or phrase. He was unable to decipher the one that had shut the door, but he did spot a few that he recognized. The problem was that none of the ones he _could_ read gave him a clue as to how to open the door.

Daniel knew that he could just start pressing buttons and hope for the best, but he had no idea what else might result from that. He didn't know what the full purpose of the pedestal was, although, if it was some kind of weapon, surely the Goa'uld would have removed it long ago. Actually, he was surprised that it was still here regardless. Why wouldn't the Goa'uld have removed any pieces of technology they'd found here? This was right out in the open, and anyone fooling around with it would have discovered that it was some kind of device.

The archeologist decided to turn his attention to the panel that he was now hoping contained instructions. He'd been studying it for several seconds when something jumped out at him, two symbols side-by-side that, combined, would mean 'portal' or 'doorway'. Getting excited, he looked at the dome and found both symbols on it. Returning his attention to the panel, he found the symbol that he was pretty sure meant 'access'. Might it also mean 'open'? When he looked for the symbol on the dome, however, he couldn't find it.

Looking more closely, Daniel noticed one symbol that was almost identical to the one he was seeking. An even closer examination revealed that it _was_ the one he wanted. Damage to the button had distorted the symbol, making it look different.

The archeologist frowned down at the dome. Applying logic, he'd guess that pressing the two buttons that, together, stood for 'doorway' and the one that meant 'access' would open the door, but could he really be sure of anything? Should he just wait and hope that his teammates would find him? This room was not very big, so if it _was_ airtight, it wouldn't be all that long before he'd run out of breathable air. If he waited too long in the hopes that his team would find him, he might not have enough time to figure out how to get out using the pedestal if his guess proved to be incorrect.

Daniel decided that his best course of action would be to try what he thought might work. He recalled the sentence structure of the Furling text on Heliopolis and decided that pressing the symbol for 'access' first, then the two for 'doorway' would be his best bet.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel pushed the first button. When nothing happened, he laid his fingers on the two that combined to mean 'doorway' and pushed them at the same time.

What happened next was not at all what he was expecting. The top of the dome abruptly slid open, revealing a large blue orb, which began to rise from the pedestal.

Thinking that the choice he'd made had most definitely been the wrong one, Daniel began backing up only to come up against something hard, unyielding . . . and invisible. He was trapped inside some kind of force field.

An ominous hum turned his gaze back to the orb. It had begun to glow, growing progressively brighter as the hum grew louder. It soon grew too bright to look at without squinting.

In the instant before the light flashed outward, engulfing Daniel, the thought went through his mind that it would have been nice to know what Goa'uld had lived in the place where he was about to die.

When Daniel _didn't_ die, he breathed a sigh of relief, letting out another one when the door opened. He wasted no time exiting the room. He came to a dead stop when it dawned on him that the hole in the roof was gone, and the place was now in a whole lot better shape than it was before he entered that room. And then he heard something, voices coming from outside, some of which he could have sworn were children.

Cautiously, Daniel approached the doorway leading to the outside. When he got there, his mouth fell open. What had been an uninhabited valley was now populated with people dressed in clothing dating back to the Roman era. There were also houses, livestock and even a couple of dogs within sight. Rising in the distance was the great city through which he'd walked less than an hour ago, a city that was now whole and undamaged.

Thinking that he must be hallucinating or dreaming this, Daniel exited the ruins. Two children playing a few yards away saw him and ran away. A woman gathering wild grain began staring at him.

"Um . . . hello," he said. Receiving no reaction except a look of incomprehension, Daniel decided to try Goa'uld. His greeting was not returned, but he could tell that the woman had understood. She cautiously moved away from him, heading for the road, which now appeared to be in perfect condition.

Trying to ignore all the stares from the people who saw him, Daniel got onto the road and headed for the city, wondering if he should be doing this. He was still half-convinced that none of this was real. Perhaps a piece of the roof had hit him in the head, and this was all just a concussion-generated dream.

Regardless of whether or not this was the best thing to do, he could not resist the siren call of the city. He wanted to see what it looked like before the destruction, even if none of this was real.

Thinking that it might result in less curiosity, Daniel removed his glasses and took off his vest. It wasn't much, but at least it would make him look a little less foreign.

As he entered the city, his gaze took in everything, trying to absorb it all at once. Seeing the buildings in their undamaged state confirmed to Daniel that the architecture was pre-Republic, during the era of the Roman kings. Very little remained on Earth of that time in Rome's history, a time long before the great empire that came to dominate so much of the world. Seeing this pristine example of that time in history would be a dream come true for many archeologists.

Daniel's joy in the wonders about him abruptly vanished upon the appearance of three Jaffa. He changed direction and hurried his pace, hoping to get out of sight before they spied him. Seeing that the temple was close by, he aimed for it.

As he entered the undamaged structure, his eyes were riveted on the statue that dominated the temple. People were praying before it, others placing offerings of food and personal items upon an altar off to the right.

Daniel came to a stop before the statue. The beautiful features of the woman possessed an air of haughtiness yet also kindness as she gazed down at those who stood before her. Who was she? What Goa'uld had this city built, then chose to live in the midst of her human subjects?

Becoming aware that everyone in the temple was staring at him, Daniel decided that maybe he'd better leave. He was near the bottom of the steps when he was grabbed by two pairs of hands. His heart began to hammer in his chest when he saw that the hands were those of Jaffa. One of the Jaffa yanked Daniel's vest out of his hand.

"Where are you taking me? What did I do?" he asked as he was dragged off the steps, deciding that pretending to be a clueless stranger was the best tactic. His question got him a hard, backhanded slap across the cheek that would have knocked him to the ground if he wasn't being held in an iron grip.

"Silence!" commanded the Jaffa who had hit him. "You have committed a great insult to our queen by entering her temple without an offering."

Oh, crap. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know. I'm not from here."

Daniel's explanation fell on deaf ears, and he was forced to accompany the Jaffa. As they passed the Stargate, he saw someone coming through it towing a small wagon behind him. Two other people carrying goods of some sort were apparently waiting to leave through the gate. What manner of Gou'uld would allow their human subjects free access to the Stargate? Daniel noticed the four Jaffa standing guard. Okay, so maybe not exactly _free_ access. The travelers looked like merchants or traders. Did this world trade with others?

Soon, Daniel and his captors were approaching the palace, answering the archeologist's previous question about where he was being taken.

_'Well, at least I'm going to find out what Goa'uld lives here,'_ he thought to himself as he was taken inside.

Under other circumstances, Daniel would be studying the palace decor, but he was too busy wondering what the punishment was for entering that temple without an offering. It could be relatively minor, like a flogging, or it could be something a whole lot more permanent and final.

As he was marched across the throne room, Daniel's eyes did not leave the woman sitting before him. Her long black hair was piled high upon her head in a classical Roman style. Her white dress flowed around her slender body, showing off every curve to perfection. The statue didn't do her justice.

The archeologist was forced to his knees before the throne. He kept his eyes low, adopting an attitude of humility. Unlike Jack, Daniel had enough sense to know when the last thing in the world that you should be conveying is a defiant attitude if you wanted to continue living.

"My Queen, this man entered your temple without an offering," one of the Jaffa told the woman. "He claims that he was ignorant of his wrongdoing."

The Goa'uld slowly and gracefully rose to her feet. She descended the dais and walked up to Daniel.

"Lift him to his feet," she commanded in the deep, echoing voice of a Goa'uld.

The Jaffa did as she commanded. She put a finger under Daniel's chin and lifted his head. The archeologist noted something flicker very briefly in her eyes when they met his.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Daniel."

The Goa'uld ran a fingertip over the area of his cheek where a bruise was already forming. "For such an insult I could have you put to death. All here know that to enter the temple without an offering is forbidden."

"I'm very sorry. I deeply apologize if I insulted you. I just arrived and have never been here before. I was unaware of your laws."

"So you say." She began studying his clothing, brushing her fingers over it. "I have never before seen such clothing. From where to you come?"

"From a planet very far from here," Daniel replied, figuring it was safe to do so. Obviously, this city saw a great deal of off-world travelers. He just hoped that she didn't ask the Jaffa on duty at the gate if they remembered seeing him come through.

"And for what purpose did you come here?"

"I am a traveler and explorer. I've been to many worlds all over the galaxy. I swear to you that I come in peace."

"Interesting." Her hand descended to the sidearm strapped to Daniel's side. His heart rate increased as she pulled it from its holster. He tried to recall if the safety was on.

"What is this?" she asked as she turned it around in her hands.

"It's . . . a weapon. I use it to protect myself from robbers and wild animals."

"How does it function?"

"It ejects a metal projectile at extreme velocity. Please be careful. I wouldn't want you or someone else to get hurt."

The Goa'uld glanced at him briefly. She turned away and ascended the dais to settle back upon the throne, where she studied Daniel some more, the gun now resting on the throne's arm.

"Will you beg for your life?" she asked in a cold voice.

Daniel's chin lifted, and he stared straight into her eyes. "No. I will not beg. I will only ask that you take into consideration that I did not knowingly insult you. It was a mistake caused by my ignorance. I meant no offense."

A faint smile curved the woman's face, a smile that appeared to be one of approval.

"Let it not be said that I do not extend mercy to those who are deserving of it," she said. "I believe you tell the truth that your actions were not meant to cause insult. However, I cannot let those actions go without punishment. Therefore, you will serve as one of my slaves for the length of one year. If, at the end of that time, it pleases me to do so, I will give you your freedom."

Daniel's heart sank. Slavery? Compared to some of the alternatives, being forced to serve as a slave for a year wasn't the worst that could be done to him, but the thought of being a Goa'uld's slave turned his stomach.

"May I humbly ask you to reconsider?" he asked. "I have people who will worry about me if I do not return."

The woman's expression hardened. "I have made my decision. You will accept it and be grateful for your life."

Knowing that doing otherwise might get him killed, Daniel nodded, bowing his head slightly.

"May I know the name of the one I will be serving?" he asked.

The woman's chin lifted haughtily. "I am Egeria."


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Utter shock drove a gasp from Daniel's throat, his eyes widening. The woman before him was Egeria, the Goa'uld queen who would one day become the mother of the Tok'ra.

In that second, Daniel knew without doubt that this was no dream, no hallucination. It was real. Somehow, he'd been transported back in time over two thousand years.

"You have heard of me?" Egeria asked, correctly interpreting his reaction.

"Y-yes, I have. You are greatly revered by some . . . friends of mine."

The statement apparently pleased Egeria. She studied him closely, a finger laid against her lips as if in thought. "Now, what duties should I assign to you. What skills do you have?"

"I don't know if any of them would be of much use to you. I can read and write several languages. I have knowledge of the history of a variety of cultures. I have been a teacher and a . . . a scholar. I am versant in a number of philosophies and belief systems. I have also acted as a diplomat on a number of occasions."

Egeria smiled. "A man of learning, of the written word."

"Yes."

"And what of physical labor?" She looked down at his hands. "Your hands appear to be smooth and unbroken, yet your body looks to be strong and fit."

"Um . . . I've done some . . . digging from time to time. I also have some knowledge of architecture."

Egeria's eyes lit with interest. "Architecture? My master builder is in need of some assistance with his newest project. I am certain that he will value your knowledge and skills." She waved her hand in a gesture of dismissal. "See that he is properly attired, then take him to Aulus Horatius."

Much to Daniel's relief, the "proper attire" turned out to be a belted tunic that reached a bit less than halfway down his shins rather than the much shorter one he'd been expecting. He was allowed to keep his boxers, although he knew that he'd have no choice but to eventually switch to the subligaculum, a loincloth that was the standard undergarment of ancient Romans – that is when they were wearing any undergarments at all.

Seriously dimming his relief about the clothing was the slave bracelet that was now on his right wrist, a four-inch-wide band of metal that he'd been told could be removed by no one except Egeria herself.

Aulus Horatius turned out to be a portly man in his early sixties with wispy white hair and a prominent nose. He raked his eyes over Daniel from top to bottom.

"Another whelp on which to waste more of my precious time, I presume," he grumbled. "At least you have a bit more maturity than the last one. How old are you, boy?"

"Thirty-five."

"Is that so? You look younger to me. Do you have any skills in building?"

"I have not done much building myself, but I am familiar with the architectural styles and building techniques of a variety of cultures. I also know how to handle various building tools."

Aulus studied him with a shrewd eye. "What manner of building techniques and styles?"

Daniel looked down at the papers scattered over the table. He gestured at them. "May I?" Upon getting a nod from the man, he began studying the drawings.

"This style is primarily Etrusci," he said, using the ancient Roman name for the Etruscans, "although I can also see a Greek influence."

He looked at Aulus, who was staring at him in amazement.

"How do you know of the Etrusci and the Greeks?" the man asked. "My knowledge of these things has been passed down in my family from generation to generation, some thought to be no more than legend and myth."

Daniel suddenly realized that he might have made a mistake. Considering that, at this point in time, the gate in Egypt had been buried for some three thousand years and the other gate was in Antarctica, he could not possibly have been on Earth unless he was in the service of one of the Goa'uld who'd been there after the rebellion or was recently taken from the planet. Based upon the presence of the Mongol society on Simarka and other civilizations they'd found all across the galaxy, the Goa'uld were taking people from Earth at least into the thirteenth century.

Daniel decided to go with an explanation that he believed would be the safest.

"Um, my grandfather was taken from the world that is the birthplace of the Etrusci, Greeks and Romans," Daniel said. "He was a builder in Rome and taught me some of what he knew."

Aulus' eyes lit up. "He has told you of the cities of Rome and Greece?"

Daniel nodded. "Some."

The elderly man grinned and grasped his shoulders. "Then this evening, you and I can meet, and you can tell me all that you know." He gave Daniel's shoulders a pat, then sobered. "But now is the time for work. Come. We shall see how useful you are to me."

Aulus apparently thought that Daniel was quite useful and kept the archeologist at his side as he examined how the construction was coming along, asking Daniel's opinion from time to time. Daniel had learned that the building was going to be an art gallery and museum, which almost made him wish that he'd be able to see it completed. He had no intention of being here that long, however. In fact, he was planning on making a break for it tonight, if he got the opportunity. His intention was to head straight to the Furling ruins and use the time travel device in the pedestal. The problem was that he didn't know how to get it to return him to the correct time. But at least he'd be free and could keep trying to get back home.

That evening, Daniel was shown the room that would be his home for the next year, unless he managed to escape. It was a tiny room with only a narrow bed, a chest for his clothing and other possessions, and a table with a clay water pitcher and basin for washing. But at least he had it to himself. He'd been afraid that he would end up in a room with a dozen other slaves.

After the evening meal, Daniel got together with Aulus in a little courtyard outside the slave quarters. As they sat on a bench lit by street lamps that had no business being in a city of this era, Aulus got Daniel into a conversation about the history of Rome. Through some careful questioning, the archeologist learned the general time in history that the man's ancestors had been taken from Earth and how long ago that was. This gave him a rough idea of the present date, which enabled him to work out the date that his own fictitious grandfather would have been taken from Earth. He took care to tell Aulus only things that happened on Earth prior to that date, although the man wouldn't have any idea if he messed up.

After they parted, Daniel went off to his room. Remaining dressed, he laid down on his bed, intending to wait a couple of hours before making his break. He wished that he had his watch, but it and everything else he'd had on him, including his glasses, had been taken.

As he lay in the darkness, Daniel's mind went over everything. Yet again, he had been transported back in time, only, this time, it had been a whole hell of a lot farther back, and he was all alone. He wished that Jack, Sam and Teal'c were here with him. Together, he knew that they'd have been able to get out of this. Sam could have probably figured out how that pedestal worked and gotten them right back home. One thing Daniel was sure of was that, if his team had been with him, they would never have left the ruins once they'd discovered what happened. Jack wouldn't have let Daniel go anywhere. But kicking himself over his bad decision wasn't going to accomplish anything. He'd gotten himself into this mess, and it was up to him to get himself out of it.

Daniel's thoughts turned to Egeria. For millennia, the Goa'uld had been enslaving the bodies of their hosts, denying their hosts the right to have any control over their own bodies. And yet, for some reason, Egeria would come to see things differently. She would turn her back on everything she'd known since she was born and decide that the host had the right to share control of the body. Why? What would make her see things in a way that was contrary to the inflated self-image of the Goa'uld?

The last time Daniel was at the Tok'ra base, he studied their historical records. After that stuff with Shan'auc, he wanted to learn more about Egeria and the beginning of the Tok'ra movement. He found out that even the Tok'ra didn't know what made Egeria do what she did. According to them, she was always a little different from the average Goa'uld. For one thing, she treated her Jaffa and human subjects a lot better. Even so, she was definitely still a Goa'uld before she became a Tok'ra. That was quite evident from what he'd seen. The fact that she spared his life when many other Goa'uld would have simply killed him seemed to indicate that she was more reasonable and less heartless than her fellow symbiotes, but she was a long way off from being a Tok'ra. A Tok'ra wouldn't have enslaved him, and a Tok'ra wouldn't have a temple for people to worship her.

So when was it going to happen? He had only a rough idea of the present date, and the dates in the Tok'ra records had not been based upon the same calendar. The turning point could be a year from now, ten years from now, or even longer. To actually be present for it would be an amazing experience, but it was one he'd be happy to miss in exchange for getting back home.

Everything was still and silent in the slave quarters when Daniel left his room. He crept through the hallways, keeping his ears open for the approach of anyone. Once he was outside, he looked around for Jaffa. Seeing no one, he hurried across an open area to a nearby building. Keeping close to the wall, he got to the corner and peeked around it. Seeing that the coast was clear, he covered the distance to the next building, keeping out of the lamplight.

Moving that way, Daniel managed to cover roughly a quarter mile, but it was taking too long. He was going to have to move faster and take the chance of being seen. Fortunately, there was no moon yet, so it was quite dark.

Daniel was getting ready to leave the shelter of the building he was hiding behind when he heard a sound that made him freeze: the rattle of Jaffa armor. Suddenly, he was surrounded with no chance of escape. One of the Jaffa strode forward, his staff weapon raised. The end swung around and connected with his head, and Daniel fell senseless to the ground.

* * *

The killer headache was what brought Daniel back to consciousness. Certain that his skull must be split in two, he raised his hand to his head and came in contact with a big lump and some dried blood.

"Ah, I see that you are finally awake."

Daniel looked over at the doorway and saw Aulus there.

Feeling like his head was going to fall off if he moved too fast – which actually might not be so bad since it would at least end the pain – Daniel sat up. The nausea, blurred vision and dizziness told him that he had a humdinger of a concussion.

The archeologist let out a sigh, resting his aching head in his hands. "I didn't get very far, did I."

"Farther than some, not quite as far as others."

Daniel looked at the elderly man. "Do you have a lot of people trying to escape?"

"Only some of the men who have been newly enslaved, and, among those, only the ones who have the courage and determination to try. I was told that you would very likely try."

That surprised Daniel. "You were?"

Aulus nodded. "Egeria saw in you the fire of one who would not submit easily to slavery. I would advise that you do not try again, Daniel. You cannot succeed as long as you wear that bracelet upon your wrist. It will tell them if you do."

Daniel stared down at it. A tracking device. Everywhere he went, they'd know where he was. Crap.

"Being a servant of Egeria's is not as harsh a fate as it could be," Aulus said. "I have served her all of my life, and she has treated me well. When my parents were too old and weak to continue working, she did not discard them as useless. She allowed me and my wife to care for them in my home until they died. When my wife was gravely ill, I pleaded with Egeria to heal her, and she did. My Felicia later died in an accident, but I will always be grateful to Egeria for the additional years I had with her. I have been told that you may only have to serve for a year. You are young and have many more years of life ahead of you, Daniel. Serve that year and please our queen with your service."

Daniel watched the man leave, trying to accept the fact that he might have no choice but to wait until Egeria set him free.

* * *

As any anthropologist would tell you, studying a culture through books and other media is not the same thing as actually living in that culture and experiencing it firsthand, no matter how much you learn about its beliefs, customs, conventions and viewpoints. As someone who, more than once, had spent quite some time living among people in a culture very different from his own, Daniel was no stranger to that fact. He was an expert in learning how to insert himself into a society and adapt to the differing lifestyle. That ability was proving to be very useful yet again.

Most of the daylight hours were spent working. Not accustomed to spending that many hours in the sun wearing a tunic with sleeves that barely covered his shoulders, it was no surprise that he ended up with a painful sunburn. The following day, Aulus gave him some oil that soothed the pain and helped protect his skin against burning even more.

Evenings were spent socializing with the other slaves. Though Aulus was a freedman, having been given his freedom by Egeria ten years ago as a reward for his many decades of faithful service, he still liked to spend time socializing with the slaves who worked under him, did, in fact, seem to prefer it to spending time with other freemen.

Being the new guy, it was understandable that the other slaves would be a little standoffish toward Daniel at first. This was especially true with the laborers, the men who performed the manual labor. The fact that Daniel was not only an assistant to Aulus but was also being approached by the master builder for opinions and knowledge led to the laborers treating him with some suspicion, although that wasn't as bad as the jealousy Aulus' other assistants were obviously feeling. Daniel's natural diplomatic and peacemaking skills served him in good stead, and, in only a matter of days, the other slaves began warming up to him.

As they gathered in the evenings, the slaves gradually started asking about him, what he did before coming to the planet he now knew was named Estrania, what he'd seen in his travels, and, most of all, what he knew about the almost mythical homeworld of humanity. Daniel shared with them what he could. Telling them about the people and places he'd seen was mostly safe as long as he didn't mention any locations or names, although there were obviously some places that he couldn't talk about for one reason or another. Talking about Earth was tougher. He had to be careful about how much knowledge he revealed. After all, he was supposed to have never set foot on Earth himself, everything he knew having come from his grandfather and other people he'd met in his travels. Fortunately, since, at this time in history, there were individuals out in the galaxy who had originally lived on Earth, it would not be impossible for Daniel to have met and talked to some of them. This gave him a lot more latitude in what he could say.

By the start of Daniel's second week, he had pretty much been accepted by everyone and had even started making a few friends. As was his nature, he treated everybody with equal respect, regardless of whether they were the lowliest of laborers or one of the freeborn men who occasionally showed up to see Aulus. It was pretty clear that some of the freemen didn't like the fact that he failed to show them what they believed was the proper level of humble submission. Considering that, in ancient Rome, slaves were looked upon as objects rather than human beings, Daniel wasn't surprised by that attitude. He didn't know if it was the same way here, but, even if it wasn't, slaves would be on the lowest rung of the ladder of humanity in the eyes of most of Estrania's freemen, most likely of less value than a good horse.

Daniel had to wonder if he'd have run into some serious trouble with any of the freeborn men if it wasn't for the fact that he was one of Egeria's own slaves. No matter how much they might object to his manner, they would not dare to harm him for fear that Egeria would get angry.

* * *

Egeria gazed from her sedan chair at what would someday be a place for the artisans of her domain to display their work and for some of the things that she had collected to be displayed for all her subjects to admire. She had expressed an interest in seeing how the building was progressing, and Aulus had nearly tripped all over himself in his effort to make all the preparations for her visit. The truth, however, was that Egeria's real reason for coming here was not the construction.

The Goa'uld queen's eyes went to a man who appeared to be explaining something to one of the laborers. It had been fifteen days since she first laid eyes upon the one named Daniel, fifteen days during which she had found her thoughts going to him often. She did not know why she kept thinking of him. She had met many handsome men, some more handsome than he, yet she could not forget that moment when she first gazed into his eyes, eyes as blue as the summer sky and as clear as the purest pool of still waters. When he told her that he would not beg for his life, she had seen strength and courage in those eyes. She knew that if she had ordered his death, he would have died with dignity and shown no fear.

Egeria was quite intrigued with Daniel, as well as curious. She had been getting regular reports on him from Aulus. The master builder gave his respect grudgingly, yet he couldn't seem to praise her newest slave loudly enough. Daniel was proving himself to be exceedingly intelligent and knowledgeable. He lacked some of the practical knowledge about construction, but he learned very quickly and was able to apply his knowledge immediately.

Daniel was also gentle, kind and wise, according to Aulus, who had recounted to Egeria some of the things that had happened since the young man's arrival. One of the workers accidently dropped his food ration in the mud, and Daniel gave his own ration to the man. A child was injured near the work area, and Daniel gently cared for her until the girl's mother came. A fight broke out between two laborers, and Daniel put a stop to it, not with force but with words, making the two men see reason and end their hostility. He treated everyone with the same level of respect and honor, slaves and freeborn men alike, which had endeared him to the slaves but had angered some of the freemen. From another source, Egeria had heard one amazing report that he was even cordial to the Jaffa!

The laborer Daniel was speaking to nodded and smiled. Daniel smiled back, a smile of surpassing beauty that made Egeria's breath catch slightly. As the worker walked away, Daniel looked over at her. His head bowed in a show of respect, but not, she suspected, in veneration. To everyone else on this planet, Egeria was a god, but she did not believe that Daniel looked upon her as such. That should anger her, yet it did not. It was actually quite refreshing to know of a human who would not grovel if she commanded him to do so.

Egeria gestured at her bearers. The four men lifted her litter and began the trek back to the palace. They had covered around half the distance when a freeborn man named Sextus Varius approached them, his head bowed low.

"My Queen, there is a matter about which I would humbly request to speak with you."

"And is there a reason why you would choose to disturb me now rather than when I am giving audience to the citizenry?"

Sextus' head bowed even lower. "It is a matter that I believe should not be discussed in public."

Egeria stared at him for a few seconds. "Very well. Come to the palace, and I will speak with you."

"Thank you, My Queen."

The man followed the litter the rest of the way. Instead of going to her private sitting room, which Egeria considered to be too intimate and personal a setting for a talk with this man, they went to the throne room, which was empty except for the Jaffa guards. The Goa'uld queen settled upon the throne and looked down at the freeborn man.

"I am listening, Sextus."

"It is regarding one of your slaves, the one called Daniel."

Egeria's eyes narrowed. "Yes?"

"It has come to my attention that he does not show the proper humble attitude to his betters."

Since his gaze was on the floor, Sextus did not see the anger that was now glittering in Egeria's eyes. He did, however, hear a hint of it in her voice when she said, "His betters?"

A smart man would have sensed that perhaps it might not be wise to continue. Sextus, however, was not a smart man. What he _was_, though, was a man with a very high opinion of his own importance.

"As is known by all, the worth of a slave can be measured by the number of coins it takes to purchase him," he said. "Yet this one called Daniel acts as if he is equal to freemen. He does not lower his eyes when speaking to a freeman. He does not address freemen with the proper honorific. I fear that the other slaves will get ideas from him and begin to think that they are equal to us as well."

"Us, Sextus? Do you, then, place yourself equal to me?"

The dangerous note in Egeria's voice could not be ignored this time.

"N-n-no, My Queen! I would not dare to think such a thing. I spoke poorly. I was referring to my fellow freemen."

"I see." Egeria glared at the man. "Are you aware that Daniel was freeborn and was not a slave until after coming here?"

"Yes, I had heard that."

"Yet you still believe that his value is no greater than that of a horse or a dog or some other piece of property?"

What little sense Sextus possessed told him to keep his mouth shut.

Egeria's voice dropped to about the same temperature as a glacier. "Tell me, Sextus. What if I was to make you a slave? Would your worth as a human then be less than it is now? Would your value then be no more than the number of coins it would take one of the other freemen to purchase you?"

Sextus had begun to sweat. "I-I-I. . . ." he stammered.

Egeria got to her feet, staring down her nose at the man. "You will trouble me with this no further. You will trouble Daniel not at all." She came down the dais to stand right before him. "Understand this, Sextus. Your value to me is no greater than that of any of my slaves. Keep that thought in mind when you look upon a slave and see nothing but a possession."

"Yes, My Queen," Sextus whispered.

Bowing so low that he could have tied his shoes if they had laces, he backed out of the throne room, then scurried away.

Egeria went to one of the gardens, where her temper gradually cooled. For a moment, she toyed with the idea of actually making Sextus a slave to teach him a lesson, but she knew that would only cause trouble.

Deciding to waste no further time on the man, the Goa'uld queen's thoughts went to another issue. She expected that, very soon, she would be called upon to spawn again. Except for those times when that happened, she was mostly left alone by her fellow Goa'uld, which was as she wanted. Their silly machinations, wars and quests for continually more power bored and disgusted her. Why they simply could not just divide everything up between them and be done with it was something she could not understand. Yet it had been this way for millennia. She bore the memories of those centuries within her and would pass them on to every generation to which she gave birth, each of her children gaining with those memories that same lust for power. As for her, she was happy with her beautiful city and great palace, where she could live in peace. She treated her human subjects well so that they would not rise up against her as the people of Egypt did against Ra, and she treated her Jaffa far better than virtually all other Goa'uld. After all, the true measure of a good ruler was the loyalty of their subjects, not how fearful and downtrodden those subjects were.

Egeria's thoughts drifted back to Daniel, thinking about the blueness of his eyes and the comeliness of his face. Perhaps when the time came for her to spawn again, she would choose him to be the one to give her the code of life. She had no doubt that it would be quite pleasurable.

* * *

Daniel was a little nervous when he entered the palace. He'd received a summons to come here, but no explanation as to the reason for it.

It had been nearly a month since his arrival in this time. In that month, he had learned to adapt to his situation. Truth be told, it really wasn't so bad. He was fed well, not mistreated, and had a job that was actually quite interesting. He was definitely making use of all the knowledge he'd gained about ancient architecture from his archeological studies and experience. Aulus had already put him in a position of authority, something that had ruffled the feathers of a few of the others who were in a senior position, though Daniel managed to smooth things over with them.

Despite all of this, Daniel still thought about escape every day. He'd tried to jimmy open the slave bracelet, but finally gave up after an hour. He thought about his teammates a lot. How long would they search for him if he never returned? When would they give up hope of ever finding him?

_'Don't think like that, Daniel,'_ he told himself. _'You'll get home, and, when you do, you'll have quite a tale to tell.'_

A female servant led him to one of the gardens. It was a hot day, and the shade cast across the garden by the palace was very welcome. Egeria was seated upon one of four marble benches placed around a fountain in the shape of a rearing horse.

"Leave us," the Goa'uld said to the servant, who immediately departed. There was no one else in the garden.

Egeria gestured toward one of the other benches. "Please sit," she requested, surprising Daniel. It was not the words that surprised him but her voice. Instead of the deep, echoing tone of a Goa'uld, she'd spoken in a normal human voice. He knew that Goa'uld were quite capable of speaking in a normal voice, but it was a very rare thing for them to do so.

Once Daniel had taken a seat, Egeria studied him for a while. "Are you well?"

"Yes, thank you."

"I have heard good things about you from Aulus."

"You have?"

Egeria smiled. "Yes. He is quite taken with you. He spins words of praise every time he speaks of you."

Daniel blushed slightly, ducking his head. The reaction amused Egeria. So, he was also modest. Not many men with his talents and attractiveness would possess that quality.

"Tell me about yourself, Daniel. You have said that you are a traveler and explorer. I studied the strange devices that were upon your person when you arrived. I have never before seen things like some of them. The level of technology used to make them is greater than that which most other humans possess."

Daniel tensed. At this time in history, there were probably very few human cultures with a higher level of technology. If she asked where he got those things, what could he tell her?

"Have you been to many worlds?" she asked instead.

"Too many to name without having to think about it."

Egeria rose to her feet and began wandering around. "I should imagine that you have seen many wondrous things."

Daniel nodded. "Yes, I have."

"It must have been exhilarating to wander with such freedom."

Daniel wasn't sure how to reply to that, considering his present circumstances, so he remained silent.

Egeria turned to him. "Do you still long for freedom?"

"Of course I do. I've been free my whole life. Slavery is not something that's easy to accept."

Egeria smiled. "I applaud your honesty. I would not expect you to accept your situation easily." She walked up to him and sat on the bench. "Tell me. Do you have a wife or a lover?" She did not fail to see the flash of pain that passed over Daniel's face before he cast his eyes to the ground.

"I . . . lost my wife a year ago," he said in a low voice.

"I am sorry for your pain." Egeria searched what she could see of his face. "You still love her."

Daniel sighed. "Yes, very much."

"There has been no other since her?"

Daniel paused before replying. "There was one, but it was a mistake, something I realized before it went very far."

"But surely you have sought pleasure with someone since the death of your wife."

Daniel frowned and stood up. "I am not the kind of man who does things like that. I know that, in this society, casual sex is common, but that isn't something I do. I never have."

Egeria was surprised. In her experience, young men did not deny themselves the pleasure of sex for long, with the exception of priests who were required to remain celibate. Yet this man before her was claiming that he had been with no one for at least a year.

Egeria had summoned Daniel here today because it was time for her to spawn again, and she had decided to choose him to mate with for the code of life, yet, now, she was beginning to wonder if he would be willing to do so. Of course, she could force him. She had that power. But she did not want to do that. She wanted him to be a willing lover.

"You do not wish to be with any woman, then?" she asked.

Daniel looked across the garden at a tree that looked like a miniature version of an oak. "There is only one woman I want to be with in that way, and that's something that can never be," he replied, his voice reflecting his grief.

"Your wife was fortunate to have a husband who loved her so much."

Daniel sighed softly. "I was the lucky one."

Egeria rose to her feet. Though she had greatly desired to have Daniel be the one with whom she would mate, she would not make him do what would clearly be against his will. There would be no pleasure in that.

"There is business to which I must attend," she said. "You may return to your duties now."

Daniel bowed his head, then left the garden, allowing himself to relax. For a while there, he was beginning to wonder about the reason why Egeria asked him to come here. He could not forget that she was a Goa'uld queen and what queens required in order to produce larvae that would be compatible with a human host. He'd begun to worry that she had her eye on him to be the "donor." He was immensely relieved that either he'd been wrong or she'd changed her mind.

During the incident with Seth, Daniel had talked to Jacob about Hathor revealing that the male members of SG-1 were now immune to the effects of her pheromone-like breath. He'd been thinking that might mean they would also be immune to Nish'ta, the chemical Seth was using to control his followers since it was chemically similar to what a queen uses. Jacob explained that wouldn't be the case and went on to say that, because the drug of each Goa'uld queen has a different chemical makeup, it was likely that the immunity to Hathor's breath also would not protect them against that of other queens. This meant that Daniel would have no defense against Egeria if she chose to force him to mate with her. All he could hope was that it was something he'd never have to face.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Egeria frowned severely at the tank teeming with the children to whom she'd given birth. They would remain here for three days, then be taken by priests to Chulak, where they would await the moment that they would be implanted in Jaffa.

The Prim'ta were not the source of Egeria's frown, but, rather, the events of the previous night. As had been done many times in the past, her First Prime searched the outlying areas of her domain for a virile young man who had no romantic attachments to another woman and who would be quite willing to bed his queen and give his seed to her. She always preferred the man she mated with for this purpose to be someone she would most likely never lay eyes upon again. She never picked the same man twice, not wishing him to believe that he meant more to her than simply a source for the code of life.

Over the centuries, some of the men chosen had brought her great pleasure while others were not so skilled in the art of lovemaking. The man chosen this time was quite handsome, with dark hair and eyes and well-tanned skin. He was an adequate lover, not as good as some, though better than others. His mediocrity was not the problem. The problem was that, as they made love, Egeria kept imagining his brown eyes to be blue, his hair not quite so dark, his skin light instead of deeply tanned. In her mind, it was not he whose body was mated with hers, but Daniel. At the height of pleasure, she nearly cried out Daniel's name, afterwards knowing that it was her imagination rather than the skill of her lover that had enabled her to reach that pinnacle.

This should not be happening. She should not be feeling these things. She was Egeria, a queen of the Goa'uld. She had been the lover of kings, yet never before had any man ruled her thoughts as did this traveler about whom she knew so little. She should free him and let him leave this world. Then he would be gone, and she could drive him from her mind. Yet the thought of letting him go troubled her deeply. She did not want him to be gone. In fact, she wanted him to be closer, to see him more often.

Egeria went to her private chambers and out onto the balcony. There might be a way that she could satisfy her desire for him. The love Daniel still felt for his dead wife was great, but it would fade in time. Once it had, he would be more amenable to finding pleasure with another woman. She would bring him here, make him one of the servants in her palace. She would spend more time with him, learn more about him and perhaps share some things about herself. Surely, in time, he would come to have feelings for her. And when he was ready, she would be the one he turned to for the pleasure he had denied himself for so long.

* * *

For most slaves, being called to serve in the palace would be considered a great honor. For this particular slave, however, "honor" was not exactly the word going through his mind. Daniel was pretty sure this was not a good thing. He was not certain why Egeria had decided to make him a palace slave, but, whatever the reason, it would mean that he'd have to watch every step he made, every word he spoke. With Aulus and the others, he hadn't had to worry so much about that. If he referred to an event that hadn't happened yet or talked about a culture that he really shouldn't, he didn't have to be concerned about his mistake being spotted or someone expressing too much interest. Now, anything he said might reach Egeria's ears.

Aulus had not been happy that he was losing Daniel, but he had consoled himself with Egeria's promise that Daniel would be available to him if truly needed. The archeologist had promised that, if he was allowed to do so, he'd come visit the master builder on occasion. He'd been wished well by many of the laborers.

A female slave led Daniel through the palace to the slave quarters. Through open doors he saw rooms that housed two and three servants. He wondered if he would now have a roommate or two.

Such was not the case. When the servant opened a door and ushered Daniel inside, he was surprised to see a room over twice the size of the one he had before, the equivalent of a double bed against one wall, complete with an actual mattress instead of a pallet and colored blankets and covers instead of a single undyed woolen blanket. Two chairs were off to the side. A large chest sat at the foot of the bed, and upon the table was a water pitcher and basin that had been brightly painted and glazed. A big window let in the sunlight. Though the room could not in any way be considered luxurious, it was way more than what he'd expected. He began to wonder exactly what his duties were going to be.

Once the servant had left, explaining that Daniel would be summoned when needed, the archeologist wandered around the room a bit. He tried out the bed and found it to be surprisingly soft. An even bigger surprise was found in the chest. Daniel stared in shock at his BDUs and vest. He checked all the pockets and found them to be empty. It would have been far too much to hope that they wouldn't be. Also in the chest were other garments, the ones he was certain Egeria expected him to wear.

Daniel took a seat in one of the chairs. So what now? What job would he be given here? Work in the kitchen? Cleaning? Serving wine to Egeria and performing other such duties? He knew that if Egeria had a Lo'taur, a Goa'uld's most trusted human slave, the Lo'taur would be the one to perform many personal duties, which was fine with Daniel, _more_ than fine. The less contact he had with Egeria the better.

The archeologist had actually come to enjoy his work with Aulus. It kept his mind active and made use of some of his prior knowledge and skills. He had his doubts that the same would be true here. Egeria would have no use for an archeologist, anthropologist, linguist, and untrained diplomat. With a sigh, Daniel determined that the rest of his year of servitude was probably going to drag by.

Daniel had been in his room for around an hour when a servant arrived. He was taken to another wing of the palace and to a room at the end of a long hallway. When he saw what was inside, his jaw nearly hit the floor.

"They're . . . they're scrolls," he said in a hushed voice. His eyes widened as he saw something else. "And books."

"Is that so very surprising?"

Daniel started violently and turned to see a wizened little man sitting behind a table, pen in hand. The guy looked to be at least seventy, with pale blue eyes and what was left of his white hair sticking up in little tufts. The eyes were now studying Daniel closely.

The archeologist turned back to the books and scrolls. There were thousands of them, all lined up on shelves.

"I, um . . . I've never seen a Goa'uld with scrolls or books," Daniel explained.

"True enough. Most of them prefer those contraptions with the buttons and knobs. We have those, too. In fact, that is one of the reasons why you are here."

Daniel looked at the man. "It is?"

"Egeria believes that you have experience with such things. All these," he swept his arm about to indicate the books and scrolls, "she obtained from other worlds. They are in many different languages, only some of which she can read. She wishes for them to all be translated into Goa'uld and entered into one of those devices so that she can read them. I have worked for over fifty years on translating scrolls, books, tablets and other things, but there is never an end to it, for she is continually getting more. And many of the languages are ones of which I have no knowledge. I am told that you can read and write several languages."

Daniel nodded, thinking that maybe he'd been wrong about the rest of the year dragging by. If he was going to be doing translations, reading things written by cultures and peoples from all across the galaxy, he'd never want to stop.

"How many?"

Daniel blinked, pulling his attention back to the sitting man. "Excuse me?"

"How many languages?" The man wagged a finger at him. "Do not lie. I will know if you do."

"Um. . . ." Daniel didn't know how to answer. Many of the languages that he could read didn't even exist yet.

Deciding to take the chance, Daniel gave an honest answer, which made the elderly man's eyes widened dramatically.

"I can tell that you speak the truth, but how can one so young know so much?"

"I, uh, always had a bit of a talent for learning languages. I've been learning them pretty much for as long as I can remember. My father once joked that I was reading before I was even walking."

The man nodded shortly and got to his feet. That's when Daniel saw that his back was slightly hunched, likely due to osteoporosis.

"I am Decimus Marius," he said with a little twinkle in his eyes, "and I believe that we will get along just fine, you and I."

* * *

Daniel's fingers sat poised over the keyboard, an actual, honest-to-goodness keyboard. Granted, the characters were in Goa'uld, and it looked more like something out of a science fiction B-movie, but it was a keyboard nevertheless, one that the archeologist was already giving a workout. The computer that the keyboard was connected to was antiquated compared to the Goa'uld devices that Daniel was used to working with, but considering the fact that, right now on Earth, they were using ancient versions of the abacus, who was he to complain?

Daniel typed in the sentence he'd just finished translating. This was his fifth solid day of translations, and he was quite enjoying himself. Decimus had started him on languages that the elderly man didn't know, which turned out to be mostly Earth languages or ones originating from the languages of that planet. Fortunately, Daniel had at least a working knowledge of most of the original languages, so his success in translating had been quite high. He'd started on the scrolls, deciding to do the books later since each one would take quite a while.

Truthfully, what Daniel really wanted to do was go through every book and scroll here and just read and read. So much knowledge of so many cultures right here within reach. The linguist could tell that a few of the scrolls he'd translated had come straight from Earth and wondered if Egeria had brought them with her when she left the planet. In just these five days, he had already regained knowledge that had been lost to Earth long ago.

Daniel felt a little like a historian who'd been sent back in time and plopped down into the Library of Alexandria, except that this library was not nearly so huge and that ancient library never contained things written in languages like the native tongue of the lizard-like race of the planet Ikseeki or the small, yellow-skinned people of Margenwa.

Daniel couldn't read those languages, but he was hoping that, by the time he went home, he would, along with several other alien tongues. Decimus had promised to teach him all the languages he knew in exchange for Daniel doing likewise. The archeologist wasn't sure what he was going to do regarding the modern Earth languages that he could not safely teach the man. He'd just have to cross that bridge when he came to it.

A smile came to Daniel's lips upon thinking about the old man. Decimus was quite something else. He possessed a lot more energy than you'd expect from a man his age. He had a mind like quicksilver and a love of languages that equaled Daniel's, perhaps even exceeded it. He could babble on for hours about this or that language and its roots in history. He'd already given Daniel historical lessons on several alien civilizations. He hated technology, preferring to write his translations on paper and let someone else enter the stuff into the computer. Because of this, Daniel had the computer in the library all to himself.

Just then, a servant came in and walked up to Daniel.

"Queen Egeria has commanded your presence," he said.

After making sure that what he'd translated had been saved into the database, the archeologist went with the man to what appeared to be a sitting room of sorts. Looking out the window, he could see that it was overcast. The library had no windows because of the danger that the sunlight would fade the writing on some of the scrolls.

Egeria was reclining on a divan, a tray with meats, bread and cheeses on a nearby table, a wine decanter beside it.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

Daniel looked at the food, just now realizing that he hadn't eaten in quite a while. "Actually, I am a little."

"Please eat, then, and partake of a glass of wine."

Very surprised by the offer, Daniel served himself some of the food and poured out a bit of wine. He'd never been much of a wine-drinker, but wine to the ancient Romans was all but a basic food group, so anyone who didn't drink it would be looked upon as a sad, primitive creature indeed.

"Are you enjoying your work in the library?" Egeria asked.

"Yes, very much. I like Decimus. He is quite a man."

Egeria smiled fondly. "He is indeed. I recall when he was a child. So much curiosity, always asking questions." Her eyes went to Daniel. "I suspect that you were the same."

"Oh, yes. I pestered my parents incessantly. I wanted to know everything there was to know, and it took a long time for them to convince me that no one could ever learn that much in one lifetime."

"Do they still live?"

Daniel's gaze flickered away for a moment. "No. They died when I was a child."

"Was it your grandfather, then, who raised you?" Seeing the question in his eyes, she said, "Aulus told me that your grandfather was from Rome and taught you most of what he knew."

"Oh. I suppose I should have known that he'd tell you."

Egeria searched his face. "There are not many humans who know as much about the original homeworld of your species as you do."

Knowing that they were treading on dangerous ground, Daniel only said, "There is more that I don't know than do."

Egeria took a sip of wine. "Yet you know that the Goa'uld even now take people from that world to serve them on others."

Daniel began to get nervous. This was definitely not good.

The Goa'uld queen smiled. "Do not worry, Daniel. No harm will come to you if you admit to that knowledge."

Daniel took a drink of his own wine to wet his dry throat. "Um . . . yes, I know that."

"Do you know which Goa'uld still visit that world?"

The archeologist shook his head. "Not for certain." He could make some guesses based upon the civilizations the SGC had discovered on other worlds, but he knew it would be a big mistake to reveal that knowledge to Egeria.

Daniel decided that he needed to steer the conversation away from his knowledge of Earth. He chose to ask something he'd been curious about since meeting Egeria.

"May I ask when you left there?"

"When I left, Rome was under the rule of Lucius Tarquinius."

Daniel hid his reaction to that name. Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth king of Rome. Because no records of the kings of Rome had survived into modern times, historians and archeologists had to rely on things written about them by later generations, a great deal of which was based upon legends, myths and stories. Not much of it could be confirmed as fact.

The archeologist gazed at the woman across from him, a woman who had lived on Earth at the time of most of those kings, who could probably confirm or deny a great deal of the history of that time. Daniel had to curb his excitement. He had to be careful. He could not ask too many questions, though he ached to know everything.

Daniel was surprised when Egeria laughed softly.

"Ah, Daniel. I can see the questions in your eyes," she said. "You wish to know about him and the ones who came before him. I can imagine that by the time your grandfather was born, much knowledge about them had been lost."

"Uh . . . yes, it was."

"I welcome you to ask, but that will be for another day. Today, I wish to know more about you."

Uh oh. Daniel's nervousness returned full force. This was going to be like treading through a minefield.

"What . . . would you like to know?"

"On what world were you born?"

_'Oh, crap. Think, Daniel. Think.'_ His mind began running through the planets he knew by name, trying to think of one he could use as his birthplace. Then he suddenly realized how he could reply.

"I'm afraid I don't know. My family left that world when I was a baby, and they never told me its name. I never really had a home growing up. We traveled a lot, going from world to world. My parents liked to study the history and culture of other people, which is how I became interested in the same thing. After they died, my grandfather and I continued traveling."

They say that the best lies have a grain of truth. Daniel's fictitious tale of his childhood bore similarities to his real one, the first few years spent with parents, whose lives revolved around history and ancient cultures, his later years spent moving from family to family in foster care, never really having a place that he thought of as home. One of the biggest lies was that his grandfather played a significant role in his young life.

"It must have been an interesting childhood," Egeria said.

"Yes, it was. I'm grateful to my parents for the world they opened up to me."

Egeria got to her feet and went to a table. Upon it was something covered by a cloth. She pulled the cloth away to reveal Daniel's things, his camera, the radio, his field journal, and the various other things he'd had on the mission. Also there were his glasses. Not surprisingly, the gun was _not_ there. Neither was his knife.

"Come tell me about these things."

Daniel got up and went to the table. Egeria lifted the radio.

"What is this?"

"It is a communication device, but it will not work here. It only works for a limited distance, and the person you talk to has to have one like it."

She touched the camera. "And this?"

"It records images and voices."

"Show me."

Daniel picked up the camera and began panning it about the sitting room, talking all the while about what he was seeing as he recorded. He then played it back on the little screen, his voice playing through the speaker. Egeria smiled.

"It is a crude recording device, but quite amusing," she said.

Daniel's glasses came next. He put them on, explaining that his vision was not perfect, and the glasses helped him see better, especially when reading. He asked if he could keep them, and she agreed, though she requested that he remove them for the present time.

The next thing she pointed to was one of the power bars. Smiling, Daniel opened it and broke off a piece, popping it into his mouth. As he chewed, he offered the bar to Egeria, remembering the power bar he shared with Chaka.

The Goa'uld cautiously broke off a piece and put it in her mouth. A faint look of surprise widened her eyes.

"It has a sweet flavor. From what is it made?"

"I don't know everything that's in it, but the sweetness is chocolate."

Egeria took another bite, quite obviously enjoying it.

"Do you know how to make this . . . chocolate?"

Daniel knew that if he said that it was made with beans from the cacao tree and sweetened with sugar, she would want to know where she could get some of the trees so that they could be grown there, so he lied and said that, though he knew a bit about the process, he didn't know what all the ingredients were. He could tell that Egeria was very disappointed by the answer.

Egeria asked about the other things, the ammo clips, the can of foot powder, the sunscreen, the lighter and flashlight – both of which he demonstrated for her – and all the rest of the stuff that had been in the pockets of his clothing. He asked if he could keep the watch, and she said yes again. Though it probably wouldn't work for keeping time here since the length of the days was probably not the same as on Earth, he would at least be able to keep track of the time he'd spent here in relation to Earth.

Last came the journal. Egeria picked it up and scanned the pages.

"I do not recognize this language."

Daniel paused before replying. "I'm not surprised. I would be very surprised if any Goa'uld knows it." _'But they will someday,'_ he added silently.

"What does it say?"

"Oh, it talks about some of the worlds I've visited. It is a journal of my thoughts and impressions, things I found and learned."

Egeria placed the book back on the table. "Perhaps you will read it to me someday."

_'Sure, an extremely edited version,'_ Daniel replied in his head.

The Goa'uld returned to the divan, and Daniel went back to his chair.

"I spoke to Aulus yesterday," Egeria told him. "He mourns your absence."

Daniel smiled slightly, his eyes dropping briefly to his lap. "I enjoyed working with him and the others."

"Would you like to visit them?"

"May I? I didn't know if it would be permitted."

"I do not require that you stay within the palace at all times, Daniel. You are free to go elsewhere when your duties do not preclude it. It is only beyond the city that you are not allowed to go, except for the area of the river where the slaves bathe. And, of course, the Jaffa who guard the Stargate will not permit you to approach it."

"Thank you. Yes, I would like to visit Aulus and the builders and see what they've accomplished since I left."

Egeria smiled. "Then please do so. I will see that you are given some money so that you may purchase things that you might find useful."

Daniel blinked, shocked by the offer. She was giving him money? "Uhhhh . . . thank you."

"I did not think to ask before if your room is adequate."

"Yes, it's fine. I don't spend much time in it except to sleep. The bed is very comfortable."

"Good." The Goa'uld got to her feet again. "I will bid you good day, then, so that you may have your visit with Aulus before the day grows too late."

Thanking her again, Daniel went back to the library to tell Decimus that he'd be out for a while. As he was heading for the door, a servant came up to him and handed him a bag containing some coins. Daniel took it, surprised by its weight. After he was outside, he took a peak inside it. Some of the coins were silver, whereas others looked like bronze. And there were two gold pieces. All together, it wasn't a huge amount of money, but the fact that he was being given money at all was amazing. Though gifts from a master to a valued slave did happen in ancient Rome, those gifts were generally in the form of jewelry and other trinkets. For Egeria, a Goa'uld and this world's ruler, to give him, a slave, a bag of money to spend as he pleased was _beyond_ amazing. Why would she do this? Why would she treat a man she had enslaved with this much kindness? Daniel didn't understand it. But then, he also didn't understand why she invited him to dine and share wine with her, why she summoned him to her to do no more than chat.

Hiding the money inside his tunic, Daniel made his way to the construction site for the gallery. Aulus smiled hugely upon seeing him and hurried forward.

"Daniel! It is good to see you, my boy."

"It's good to see you, too, Aulus. So, how are things going here?"

"They are going well, although they would be better if you were still working with me. So, what have they got you doing in the palace? I hope it is something worthy of your talents."

"I'm in the library, doing translations."

Aulus shook his head in disgust. "Working on dusty old scrolls and books with things in them about the past. You should be here, helping to build the future."

Daniel smiled. "Well, working with the past is something with which I am quite familiar."

"A waste of a good brain, if you ask me. So, are you here for a visit?"

"Yes, and to see how far you have gotten."

"Well, let me show you, then."

Aulus took Daniel through the construction site, pointing out the things that had been erected since the archeologist's departure. Several of the workers greeted him with a smile. Afterwards, Aulus invited Daniel to come dine with him at a restaurant. This was one of the ways that this city departed dramatically from the culture upon which it was based. Though ancient Rome had a form of public eateries, true restaurants didn't come into existence until eighteenth century France. Most of this restaurant was outdoors, shaded by brightly colored cloth suspended from poles.

As a freedman, Aulus was paid a wage for his work, and as Egeria's master builder and architect, he had a position of some influence in the city. Therefore, he would not be an odd sight at the restaurant. Daniel, however, was and got a whole lot of looks when he sat down upon the cushions before the low table. It was probably unheard of for a slave to actually be eating there. Aulus paid no attention to everyone's reaction.

Over the meal, Daniel and the master builder chatted about a variety of things. Aulus was a shameless gossip and loved to pass on all the things he'd learned.

At the end of the meal, Aulus pulled out his money, intending to pay for both meals.

"You don't have to do that," Daniel told him. "I have some money."

The man stared at him. "You do?"

"Yes. It was given to me before I left the palace. Egeria thought I might need to buy some things."

Aulus kept staring at him for so long that it made Daniel very uncomfortable.

"Tell me, Daniel," the older man finally said. "Are translations all that you are doing in the palace?"

Daniel frowned. "What are you implying?"

"You have been a slave for little more than a month, yet you are being paid?"

"It isn't pay, Aulus. This is probably all the money I'll ever get. Egeria was just being kind."

"Perhaps. Still, I am not blind to the fact that you are a handsome man, Daniel, one I am sure has caught the eye of many women."

Realizing what Aulus was implying, Daniel angrily pulled out a small coin and tossed it on the table. Then he strode away.

"Daniel, wait!" Aulus called. He hurried up to the archeologist, puffing from the exertion of running. "Forgive me, Daniel. I have insulted you. I should not have said what I did."

Daniel stopped abruptly and turned to him. "How could you think that I . . . that we. . . . You should know that I am not that kind of man."

"You are right. I should have known better. It just surprised me greatly that Egeria gifted you with money."

Daniel sighed, his anger fading away. "I don't know why she gave it to me. I don't know why she invites me to come talk with her, unless it's just that she's curious about the things I know and the places I've been."

Aulus' surprise rose another notch and was now accompanied by curiosity. "How many such conversations have you had?"

"Two so far, one when I was still working for you, and a second one today, in some kind of sitting room."

Aulus knew of the room. It was a private room of Egeria's, one that she used for more personal conversations. He had been in it only once, and that was after he'd been given his freedom. He doubted that there was more than a small handful of people in the city who had seen that room, yet Egeria had invited Daniel there. She had gifted him with money, something she had never done before with _anyone_.

As not only their queen but also their god, Egeria had the freedom to take anyone she pleased as her lover, but Aulus believed that Daniel was telling the truth that nothing like that was happening between them. Yet the fact remained that she was treating him in a way that a master would not treat a slave, especially when that master was also the ruler of the entire planet. What could be the reason?

Daniel looked at the position of the sun. "I have to get back."

Aulus searched his face worriedly. "Do I still have your friendship?"

"Yes, Aulus, we're still friends."

The man relaxed. "Then I will see you again another time."

Daniel nodded. Bidding the man goodbye, he walked off in the direction of the palace. Aulus watched him leave, wondering if the queen he had served all his life was at last losing her heart to a man.

* * *

Because of some comments I've received, I thought that perhaps I should explain that the sperm a Goa'uld queen gets from a human male is not used to fertilize her eggs. The DNA from the sperm is used solely to enable the larvae to live inside a human host without the body's natural defenses attacking it as an invader. The precise way this is done was never explained, but it is likely grafted onto the larva's own DNA in some way or another. The man that the queen gets the "code of life" from is not actually the father of the Goa'uld she spawns. In fact, Goa'uld reproduce asexually. No male is needed for the reproductive process at all. As a note of interest, in "Hathor", Hathor told Daniel, "We do so enjoy the method of procuring the code in your species. It is much more pleasurable than most." This raises the question of how they get the DNA from other species . . . and how many different species they've used as hosts.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

When Daniel returned to his room, he received quite a surprise. With the exception of the gun, clips of ammo and knife, all his things were sitting in a neat pile on the table. Daniel's gaze fixed upon the camera, a smile coming to his lips.

The next day, the archeologist set about providing himself with rock solid evidence that his trip back in time actually happened. He went out into the city and filmed until the batteries in the camera went dead, making sure to get shots of the palace and temple so that he'd have a "before and after" comparison. He received a lot of odd looks from people, but he didn't care. He now had on tape a record of his visit to Egeria's city. Not even Jack could deny this proof.

It was four days later that Daniel was again told to go see Egeria. This time, it was in the eastern garden, which was filled with a variety of flowers, some of which Daniel suspected were not native to this planet. There was an artificial pond filled with fish around which was a grassy area. Egeria was sitting on the grass, tossing bits of bread into the pond. She gave Daniel a smile when she saw him and told him to take a seat on the grass.

"You have quite a talent for charming people," she observed.

Daniel blinked. "I do? That is news to me. I can think of a whole lot of people who most definitely do _not_ find me charming."

The Goa'uld queen laughed lightly. "Yet the fact remains that you have charmed Decimus the same as you did Aulus. He says that you are quite the most intelligent man he has ever met, a true wonder with languages. He suspects that the knowledge you have shared with him to date is only a tiny portion of what you know." She focused her eyes upon him. "So, tell me, Daniel. How much do you truly know?"

Daniel was suddenly very worried. Had he talked too much, revealed too much? He'd tried to be careful not to say anything that a man who'd done a lot of traveling around the galaxy could conceivably know.

"I don't really know all that much, Egeria," he replied, attempting to remain outwardly calm.

Egeria studied Daniel. She had not missed the expression that passed over his face for a brief moment. He was worried. She wondered what secrets he possessed, what knowledge he had that he feared to tell her. If she was like her fellow Goa'uld, she would torture him to find out or, if that failed, would turn him into a host so that the symbiote could rip the knowledge from his mind. The thought of doing either turned her stomach.

"You have no reason to fear, Daniel," she told him gently. "I swear that I would not harm you if you revealed something that might be displeasing to me." She smiled again. "Perhaps we can start with something that I already suspect."

"What's that?"

"That you know a great deal more about the Goa'uld than most other humans, enough that you do not believe we are gods."

Daniel paused, wondering how to respond. There didn't seem to be much point in lying, even if he was willing to do so in regards to this.

"Yes, I know the Goa'uld are not gods," he admitted. "I know they are symbiotes that take humans as hosts. I know that they are not immortal, that they can be killed. I have witnessed the death of more than one of them." Of course, Daniel would have been insane to add that he'd actually had a hand in killing some.

Egeria absorbed what he'd said. She had seen something flicker in his eyes for the briefest of moments when he spoke of Goa'uld taking hosts, emotions she had recognized as anger and pain. She began to suspect something.

"Someone you knew was taken as a host," she guessed.

Daniel jumped to his feet and moved away, but not before she'd seen the anguish in his eyes.

"Tell me who," she said, wanting to know.

"My . . . my wife," Daniel murmured.

"But you said that she was dead."

"Yes. Yes, she's dead."

Egeria got to her feet and walked up to him. "Tell me what happened, Daniel."

Knowing that he had no choice, Daniel did as she asked. "She was taken by a Goa'uld that raided the planet we were on. She was . . . she was very beautiful and caught his eye. I wasn't there to protect her, not that I could have anyway. I'd just have ended up dead." Daniel tried to swallow away the tight lump that was forming in his throat. "For . . . for two and a half years, I tried so hard to find a way to save her, but, in the end, I failed." His voice trembled. "I watched her die before my eyes when the Goa'uld inside her tried to kill me."

"You were not the one who killed her."

Daniel shook his head. "I-I couldn't. I had my gun pointed right at her, but I couldn't pull the trigger, not even when she raised the ribbon device. I knew that she was going to kill me, but I couldn't shoot her. It was someone else who did instead to save my life."

Daniel's anguish tore at Egeria. Never before had she spoken to the loved ones of a person taken as a host. Never before had she seen the grief and pain suffered by the families of people the Goa'uld chose against their will. Some thought it to be an honor to have a family member chosen, those who worshiped the Goa'uld without question. But the Goa'uld did not choose hosts only from such people. In fact, some preferred to take unwilling hosts for the pleasure of subjugating them. Egeria was not one of those. Her host willingly submitted to it, was actually quite eager since she was dying from an incurable illness at the time and wanted to live.

"I am sorry, Daniel. It distresses me that you suffered such pain." Her expression hardened. "Tell me the name of the one who stole your wife."

Daniel knew that this was a question he could not answer with the truth. "It doesn't matter anymore. He's dead, too," he lied, wishing it was true, that Apophis really was dead.

Egeria was glad to know that the Goa'uld who'd hurt Daniel so deeply was dead and wondered if he died at Daniel's hands. She hoped that was the case, that Daniel had been able to get revenge upon the one who took his beloved wife from him.

That's when a sudden thought hit her. "You must hate the Goa'uld for what we took from you."

"Yes. Yes, I hate them, the one who took her most of all."

"And yet you display no hatred toward me. Instead, you treat me with respect and honor." She paused. "Do you hate me for what I am, Daniel?"

The archeologist heard a note in her voice that he would not have expected. She was upset that he might feel that way. He looked at her, seeing the same emotion in her eyes.

"No, I don't hate you, Egeria. You made me a slave, but, since then, you've treated me very well. I don't think you're like the others I have met. Virtually every other Goa'uld I've met would have either killed me for going into that temple without an offering or made me work in a Naquadah mine for the rest of my life, probably after torturing me to find out where I got all those things I had with me."

The Goa'uld queen could not deny that Daniel's words about the others of her kind were true. "I am glad that you do not hate me, Daniel. It would distress me if you did." She couldn't help but wonder, though, if he could ever come to care about her in the way she wanted.

Egeria walked back to the grass. "Please come sit back down, and we will speak of something pleasant."

Daniel really didn't want to stay. His emotions had been rubbed raw by resurfacing the pain of losing Sha're, and he wanted to be alone for a while. But he didn't have the freedom to refuse her request. She might be quite different from other Goa'uld, but he suspected that there was a limit to how much latitude she'd give him.

Egeria gently nudged Daniel into telling her about some of the more amusing things he'd seen in his travels, and he ended up telling her about the time that Jack ran afoul of a creature that, much to his dismay, turned out to be that planet's version of a skunk. Daniel had to change some of the facts, but the tale made Egeria laugh.

"When we got back home, everyone within smelling distance made a very hasty retreat," Daniel said with a smile. "As fast as they scattered, you would think they were under attack. It took days for the smell to go away even though we tried everything we could think of to get rid of it."

Egeria laughed again. "How very embarrassing for your friend. Did he ever live down the shame?"

"In time, though, for quite a while afterwards, he did keep getting teased by some people." Daniel knew that it would have been even worse if Jack hadn't been a colonel.

After that, the conversation moved onto a variety of things, Daniel telling Egeria about some of the things he'd seen in his travels, she, in turn, telling him about the worlds she'd visited. She could tell that there were questions he wanted to ask but was holding himself back.

"Is there something you wish to know?" she finally asked.

"I, um, wouldn't want to anger you."

"I will not be angered."

Daniel glanced at her. "I was . . . I was wondering about your host."

Egeria smiled. "Ah. Yes, that is understandable. I did not take her body by force, Daniel. This I swear. Her name is Arria. She was an Etrusci peasant girl. At the time I met her, I was in another host, someone who also became one willingly, and I had just recently arrived upon the planet."

"Why did you go there?"

"Mostly out of curiosity. Though there are now many worlds that are populated by humans, none of them are like the first world, so rich with its many cultures and peoples, none of whom have any idea what the gods that they worship truly are. The Goa'uld amuse themselves with taking on the mantle of those gods and doing as they please, watching the rise and fall of civilizations, sometimes as observers, other times as participants."

Daniel was fascinated. He'd sometimes wondered why the Goa'uld kept spending time on Earth after the rebellion when, by then, there were already plenty of other planets out in the galaxy populated by humans that they could have ruled over. Was it because Earth was the first world, the birthplace if humanity? Was ruling over a portion of Earth considered to be a status symbol? He wanted to ask but decided against it.

"When I met Arria, she was ill from a disease for which there was no cure," Egeria said, pulling Daniel's thoughts back to her. "I was struck by her beauty and by the courage with which she was facing death. I toyed with the idea of healing her, but events transpired to change my plans. She and I were alone when we were attacked by a band of armed men. Their intention was to rape and murder us, but they did not plan upon my power. I killed several of them before the rest chose to flee. Sadly, my host was gravely injured. She was dying, the damage too great for me to heal with my power alone."

"You couldn't call your ship for help?"

"No. The device to call those onboard had been damaged, and I had foolishly wandered too far from my servants." Egeria smiled. "Though her own strength was not great, Arria tried to help me back to my servants, but I did not think we would make it. I knew that my only chance was to take Arria as my new host, but I did not wish to do so against her will. I told her a little about what I was and said that if she agreed to be my host I could heal the sickness killing her. She agreed quite willingly. And that is how I came to be in the body you see before you."

Daniel did not ask if Arria had come to regret her decision. That really would be pushing it.

Egeria looked at the position of the sun, surprised by what she saw. She had not realized that so much time had passed as they talked, having found the time so enjoyable.

"I must let you return to your duties," she said. "We will talk again another time. I have enjoyed our conversation."

"I enjoyed it, too," Daniel responded. "Thank you for answering my questions."

"You may ask others the next time we talk, though I will not promise to answer them all."

Daniel returned to the library, where he was subjected to a long, piercing gaze from Decimus.

"You were gone for quite some time," the old man said. "Were you with our queen for all this time?"

"Yes. She wanted to talk about some things. She's curious to know more about me and the things I've seen."

"Ah. Curious, eh? Well, I can certainly understand why her curiosity would be piqued by you. You are an interesting man, my young friend."

Not quite knowing what to make of that remark, Daniel did not respond, getting back to work instead.

* * *

The weeks passed, Daniel slipping deeper into his new life, though he still thought a lot about going home. He was surprised by how much he missed his teammates and how much he thought about them. Actually, that wasn't exactly true. He wasn't surprised that he missed Sam a lot. The two of them had formed a close friendship, and, though they no longer spent as much time together as they used to, that friendship was still strong. He also wasn't all that surprised that he missed Teal'c. Though he'd never have believed in the beginning that he and the Jaffa would become friends, that's what they were, and Daniel missed the big guy.

No, the biggest surprise was how much Daniel missed Jack. Things had not been very good between them recently. It seemed like Jack was mad at him more often than he wasn't, and Daniel still hadn't quite gotten over the way Jack treated him on Euronda. It had hurt, and it was taking longer for the pain to heal than Daniel would have thought it would. There were times when he questioned if Jack even thought of him as a friend anymore. Daniel had to wonder if Jack would even miss him if he never came home.

With increasing frequency, Egeria had been calling Daniel to come join her in conversation and, occasionally, a meal as well. She was gradually becoming freer with the things that she would tell him about herself and the Goa'uld, and, in turn, he was revealing more about himself, though he always had to be careful not to say anything that would make her question the truth about him.

He was quite surprised when she presented him with a gift one day, a small vase from her sitting room that he'd admired. It was seventh century Roman and in perfect condition, an exquisite example of the artistry of that time.

Something that surprised Daniel even more was how much he was coming to like Egeria. Never in his life would he have thought he could befriend a Goa'uld, yet there could be no doubt that's what he was feeling. But then, Egeria was not like the cruel, egotistical, power-hungry Goa'uld that Daniel had met. More than once, he wondered why. She had the same genetic memories as all of the others. Why had they not corrupted her as well? It certainly wasn't because she was a queen. Hathor had proved that Goa'uld queens were no better than the rest of them.

Daniel has found a historical account of the founding and construction of Egeria's domain. It spoke of the goddess Egeria coming down in a great flying chariot and taking men and women she deemed worthy to serve her and giving them the task of creating her city. After the burial of the gate in Egypt, the only ways to get people off Earth would have been through the gate in Antarctica or by ship. According to this account, the people were taken by ship to the Antarctic gate, then completed their journey to their new home that way.

With some of the money Egeria gave him, Daniel had purchased some paper and writing implements, knowing that there was no way his journal would fit everything he'd have to write and that his pen would no doubt run out of ink well before the year was out. He also got gifts for Aulus and Decimus, the latter actually blushing with delight when Daniel presented it to him.

And then the day came when Daniel found the beans. He was walking through the marketplace when he noticed some beans that bore a striking resemblance to cacao beans. He found out from the vendor that they were used to make a bitter drink that helped to lift the mood of those who drank it. That got Daniel excited. For most of chocolate's history, it was consumed in the form of a beverage and was not sweetened. The part about lifting moods meant that these beans might have the same chemical properties that gave chocolate its well-known ability to alter the mood of some people for the better.

Daniel purchased some of the beans and set about the task of creating his own chocolate. Sugar being unavailable, Daniel used honey as a sweetener. It took quite a bit of trial and error, and he ended up making a lot of messes. The kitchen slaves probably thought he was nuts, but they didn't say anything except to ask what he was doing. He just told them that he was trying to duplicate a candy that he'd discovered in his travels.

On the day he was finally satisfied with his recipe, he poured the chocolate into little candy molds that he'd paid the metalsmith to make and let it set.

When he tried the first chocolate, letting the sweet goodness melt in his mouth, he couldn't prevent the little sigh of pleasure that escaped. When he opened his eyes, he saw that everyone was staring at him. Grinning, he started handing out the chocolates. Needless to say, there were a lot more sighs of pleasure being uttered.

Daniel quickly whipped up a second batch. Once they'd hardened, he borrowed a bowl from the kitchen and put the chocolates in it. Then he went in search of Egeria. He found her in one of the gardens, sitting on a bench.

Smiling, he came toward her. "I've made something for you."

Surprised, Egeria looked at the bowl, which was covered by a cloth. "What have you made?"

Daniel whipped off the cloth. "Chocolate!"

Egeria's eyes grew wide. "Truly?"

"Uh huh. I knew that chocolate was made from some kind of bean that tastes bitter when you cooked it and that you needed to add sweetener to make it taste right. I was in the marketplace a few days ago and found some beans that I thought might work. I didn't know much more about the recipe, so I had to do a lot of experimenting." He held the bowl out to Egeria. "I hope you like it." He grinned. "The servants in the kitchen did."

Egeria gazed at the bright, beautiful smile on Daniel's face, feeling something inside her quiver at the sight. She took one of the candies and delicately put it in her mouth. The explosion of luscious sweetness caught her by surprise. This was many times more glorious than her first experience with chocolate.

"It is wonderful!" she exclaimed. She took another, consuming it in short order.

Daniel laughed. "Be careful not to eat too many. They're fattening."

Egeria gazed up at him. "You did this thing for me?"

Daniel shrugged. "I knew you were disappointed that I couldn't tell you how chocolate was made. Besides, I'm rather addicted to the stuff myself and was really missing it."

Egeria was deeply touched by what Daniel had done. She had received gifts before, but none of them had been created or given with the unselfishness that this one was. She knew that Daniel did not do this to curry her favor. He had done it simply because he wanted to do so. His feelings for the Goa'uld made it even more amazing that he would do this. She did not consider for an instant that they might be poisoned. Daniel would not do such a thing.

Egeria got to her feet. She touched his cheek lightly with her fingers. "Thank you, Daniel. This is a wonderful and generous gift, one that I know is being given out of the goodness of your heart."

"You're welcome. I don't know if I should mention this, but chocolate can also be put in cakes, and pies, and other desserts."

Egeria smiled. "Is that so? Well, my Daniel. I do believe, then, that a new task has been added to your duties. You must teach the kitchen staff how to make these and how to create other chocolate desserts."

"Well, I am definitely no baker, but I'll do my best."

* * *

Every female servant in the palace was now quite in love with Daniel. Why? Because he had given to Egeria's domain the wondrous, magical thing called chocolate. The vendor of the beans Daniel used had his entire stock purchased by the palace and was given a command to buy more, much, much more. Since the beans came from off-world, the deliriously happy man was given permission to go through the gate to get them, with a promise that he would be making a healthy profit.

By the end of the first week, Daniel's creation had spread beyond the walls of the palace and into the homes of the citizenry. The archeologist was a little concerned that he'd be responsible for the expanding waistline of every human on the planet, but the smiles he got from all the people in the city who knew that he was the candy's creator made him feel good. He was thinking, though, that maybe his next "invention" should be toothpaste and the toothbrush. He'd already managed to figure out a way to more thoroughly clean his own teeth than what was available on the planet, and he figured that to avoid being the one responsible for thousands of cavities, he might want to consider teaching the populace about better dental hygiene.

With a little advice and guidance from Daniel, the palace baker managed to create a chocolate cake that made Egeria sigh in delight and the baker beam with pride. Daniel occasionally wondered what kind of impact all of this might have on the future, but he didn't see how it could possibly lead to anything bad.

Though the archeologist was quite happy about his success at creating chocolate, what he _really_ wished for was coffee. During the first few weeks here, he was missing it so much that he actually had dreams about the beverage. He had finally reached the point now where he'd "detoxed" and was able to stay alert during the day without caffeine, but he still desperately missed his favorite beverage. He'd searched for some kind of alternative, but had been unable to find a substitute.

One afternoon, Daniel was bent over a translation, struggling to keep his eyes open. He'd been up way too late the previous night and was now paying the price.

"I'd give my soul for a cup of coffee right now," he muttered.

"What is coffee?" Decimus asked.

"A beverage that helps keep you awake when you're sleepy. I used to drink a lot of it." Daniel sighed. "I loved my coffee. I miss my coffee."

Decimus asked Daniel a few more questions about what coffee was made from and how it tasted. After sending the archeologist off to his quarters for a nap, the old man went to see Egeria. He told the woman about Daniel's lamentation over not being able to have this beverage he loved so much. Egeria learned everything from him that Daniel had said about coffee, deciding that it was time to pay Daniel back for his gift to her. She sent people to talk to the merchants, traders and vendors on the streets, asking if any of them had heard about the beverage called coffee. None of them had. However, when told about the properties of coffee and how it tasted, one merchant said that he believed he knew of a drink that might be similar. He was told to go get some as soon as he was able.

What the merchant brought back was not the brewed beverage but the ground beans that would make it, along with instructions on what to do with them. The palace kitchen servants were then given the order to make coffee.

The following day, Daniel was told to go to the sitting room. When he got there, he stopped dead in his tracks. There was a scent in the air, a scent he had not smelled in months. It was not exactly like coffee, but it was close enough that his mouth started watering.

"That . . . that smells a little like coffee," he said, his eyes coming to rest upon a pitcher that had steam rising from it.

Egeria smiled. "Decimus told me about this beverage you love so much. I sent people out to find it, but they could not."

Daniel nodded, knowing that finding coffee would have been impossible since it wasn't invented until the ninth century.

"They did, however, learn of a beverage that appears to be similar." She gestured at the pitcher. "Please try it and tell me if you like it. I have tasted it, but it is not to my liking."

"It's an acquired taste for a lot of people," Daniel explained. He walked up to the table and poured some of the dark brown liquid into a cup. He lifted it to his nose and drew in a deep breath, his eyes closing in pleasure. He took a tentative sip. It was little sweeter than coffee without sugar and was a bit on the weak side, but the flavor wasn't bad. It would be easy to make it stronger, and he didn't mind the sweetness since he often added sugar to his coffee anyway.

Daniel took another sip, then turned to Egeria with a smile. "Thank you so much. This is great. It's a little different from coffee, but it's still very good."

The Goa'uld queen returned the smile, very pleased that she'd made Daniel happy. "Consider it an expression of my gratitude for the chocolate."

Daniel's smile widened. "Okay."

"You are welcome to take the pitcher back with you to the library. Perhaps Decimus would like to try this beverage."

Daniel did as she recommended. Decimus didn't like the taste either, so Daniel had it all to himself. He drank two cups, which was what he usually consumed each morning at home. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten to take something into consideration. After so long without caffeine, his body was not used to it, so those two cups were the equivalent of drinking half a dozen in a row would have been to Daniel back on Earth. In a very short time, he was almost literally bouncing off the walls, his body supercharged with the stuff running through his system. He couldn't sit still for more than ten minutes, and he was so wide awake that he wondered if he'd be able to sleep for the next week.

Decimus watched him with a bewildered look, not accustomed to seeing the normally quiet Daniel so restless.

"Is this what coffee does?" he asked after watching Daniel get up, wander around the room for a while, then sit back down.

"No, I was stupid. I drank too much of it. My body isn't used to it anymore." Daniel looked down at his hands, which were trembling from the caffeine overdose. He got up again. "I need to go for a walk."

Daniel left the palace and started a brisk walk through the city. He passed several slaves he knew, who greeted him pleasantly. A prostitute standing in front of her house propositioned him teasingly. It was not the first time. After she learned that he had money, she started doing so every time she saw him. The first few times, her offer had been in earnest, but after she realized that she would have no luck with him, she started doing it in jest. He smiled and waved at her and walked on by.

Daniel suspected that at least half the city knew about the money Egeria had given him and had to wonder what people were thinking. He just hoped it wasn't the same thing that Aulus had. The thought that people might believe he was a Goa'uld queen's boy toy was definitely upsetting.

Daniel went all the way to the western edge of the city. He sat down on a low wall and looked out across the fields that stretched to the hills in the distance, his eyes coming to rest on the Furling ruins. How far would he be able to get before the ones monitoring his tracking device realized that he was trying to make a break for it and send Jaffa out to drag him back? If he got his hands on a horse, he bet that he'd be able to make it. Once that door to the chamber was closed, they wouldn't be able to get to him, unless they blasted it to bits with staff weapons. Actually, they probably wouldn't even be able to find him. If that chamber blocked radio waves, it would very likely also block the signal from the tracking device in the bracelet. If he acted quickly, escape might actually be possible.

There were just two problems with that idea. The first was that, if he made it to those ruins and suddenly vanished without a trace, they'd know that something was going on. They'd try to find out what and might discover what the pedestal could do. What would Egeria do with that kind of power? The bigger and more disturbing question was what another Goa'uld would do if they got their hands on it. It would be a catastrophe on a galactic scale. Any Goa'uld with the power to go back in time could change history to suit their own purposes, turn themselves into the most powerful of the Goa'uld, with all the others either dead or under their rule. That alone was a big enough reason for Daniel not to attempt an escape.

The other reason was more personal. He'd feel like he was betraying Egeria. Most people would think Daniel was crazy for thinking that way when she was the one who made him a slave, but, during these past weeks, she had been very kind to him, and she was under no obligation to show him any kindness at all. She was a Goa'uld queen, and he was a human being commanded to serve her for a minimum of one year, yet not only had she shown great kindness, she was actually becoming a friend. To throw that back in her face and escape would make Daniel feel terribly guilty.

The archeologist could actually hear in his head what Jack would say to that.

"Daniel, she's a Goa'uld! I don't care whose mother she's going to be. She forced you to be a slave just because you went into her temple without some fruit for the altar. You'd have no reason to feel guilty for taking the opportunity to escape. If she was really a good Goa'uld, she'd let you go free."

Daniel sighed softly. It really didn't matter anyway. As long as he was wearing the slave bracelet, he couldn't go anywhere near those ruins.

After sitting there for a while, Daniel retraced his steps. Deep in thought, he was not aware until too late that he was being shadowed. He was passing through a narrow alley between buildings when, suddenly, there was a knife at his throat.

"Give me your money," said the man who held him from behind.

"I have no money," Daniel told him. He hissed as the blade cut into the skin of his neck.

"Do not lie. I have heard about you, the slave of Egeria's to whom she gives money."

Daniel schooled his voice to a gentle tone. "I don't have the money with me. I just came out for a walk. The money is in the palace." He winced as the knife bit a little deeper. "Please believe me. That money is not worth my life. If I had it, I would give it to you."

There was a long pause, then the man said, "Then I will have to kill you and leave empty-handed."

"You don't have to kill me. You can just leave."

"No, if I leave you alive, you will tell Egeria, and she will send her Jaffa to hunt me down."

"I haven't seen your face. I couldn't identify you. And think about this. All you have done right now is attempt to steal from me. If you kill me, how angry do you think Egeria will be? One way or another, she will find out who you are and kill you."

The pain in his neck as the knife dug in even deeper made Daniel wonder if he'd chosen the wrong thing to say. He wished that he knew some kind of martial arts technique to disarm the man, but he wasn't confident enough in any of what Jack had tried to teach him to chance it. He might end up accidentally slashing his own throat.

The archeologist breathed a silent sigh of relief when the cutting pressure of the blade eased.

"You will keep your back turned and not attempt to see me," the would-be thief commanded. "If you see my face, I will kill you."

"I understand."

The man released Daniel, who then heard him running away. The moment Daniel no longer heard the footsteps, he relaxed. His hand went to his neck, which was bleeding quite heavily, though not so much that he thought he had to worry about the blood loss.

Tearing off a piece from his tunic, Daniel pressed it against the wound, then exited the alley. He received several stares, but no one came to offer assistance until a slave Daniel had chatted with several time saw him. The man rushed forward.

"Daniel, you are injured!"

"Um, yeah. I had an . . . encounter with someone who wanted my money."

"We must get you to the palace. There is much blood."

The slave helped Daniel the rest of the way. The second that the Jaffa on guard at the palace entrance saw the blood, one of them came forward.

"What has transpired?" the Jaffa asked.

"He was attacked by a thief," the slave replied.

Every one of the Jaffa knew that Daniel was a favorite of Egeria's, so they wasted no time in getting him inside and calling for someone to assist him. One of them went to tell Egeria what had happened.

Ten minutes later, Daniel was lying on a couch, a slave who knew a bit about healing attending to him, when Egeria came bursting into the room, her eyes burning with anger. When she saw the blood covering Daniel's neck and clothes, the anger turned to concern.

"What did he do to you?" she demanded to know.

"It's not serious, Egeria," Daniel told her. "It is just a cut on my neck. I will be fine."

The queen told the slave treating Daniel to move out of the way. She looked at the cut, seeing that it was deep but had not damaged any arteries. If it had, Daniel would have bled to death before he reached the palace.

Egeria lifted the device in her hand. "With this I can heal you, Daniel."

He nodded. "I've seen one before."

The Goa'uld extended it over the wound and concentrated upon healing the injury. Being so minor, it took only seconds. She smiled down at him.

"There. You are well again. You are no doubt shaken by your ordeal and would like to rest."

Daniel sat up. "Oh, this was no worse than other things I've gone through, not nearly as bad as some. I'm fine."

"Nevertheless, you need to clean up. I insist that you use the palace's private bathhouse, where the water is warm and soothing."

Surprised by the offer, Daniel accepted, just the thought of actually taking a hot bath too tempting to refuse. As a slave, he was not allowed to bathe in the city's public bathhouse, regardless of the fact that he had the money to pay the fee. So, like the rest of the slaves, he bathed in the river.

The gentleness in Egeria's expression vanished. "Did you see who attacked you?"

Daniel shook his head. "He came up behind me."

"You are fortunate that he did not kill you."

"I know. I had to do some fast talking to convince him not to. He ended up with nothing. I didn't have my money with me."

"Then you are doubly fortunate, for he could have slit your throat out of anger."

After getting a change of clothes from his room, Daniel went to the bathhouse. It was quite tiny compared to the public one. The bath itself was around four times the size of a four-person hot tub. The only people who used it were the few servants in the palace who were freemen. No slave would normally be allowed to use it. Egeria did not use this bath, having her own private one off her chambers.

Daniel was happy to see that the bathhouse was empty when he got there. He quickly stripped off his bloody clothing and ease himself into the water, sighing in pleasure. Though not really cold at this time of year, the water in the river wasn't exactly warm either, so, to Daniel, this felt almost sinfully decadent. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the edge, letting the heat soak into his body. He allowed himself the luxury of just soaking for around fifteen minutes, then decided that he'd better wash up and get out of there.

Using a crude bar of soap that he'd made from a very old recipe, Daniel scrubbed the blood off, then washed the rest of his body, doing likewise with his hair while he was at it. He'd have to see about getting another haircut soon. It was getting pretty long again, and he wanted to keep it at the same length that it was before his trip back in time, not wanting to shock his teammates with suddenly longer hair when he returned.

Feeling clean and refreshed, Daniel was about to get out of the water when a voice made him freeze.

"Are you feeling better?"

Daniel sank deeper into the water and turned around to see Egeria just inside the doorway.

"Y-yes, much better. I was, uh, just about to get out."

The woman made no move to leave, which shouldn't have been surprising. The ancient Romans had a completely different viewpoint about nudity than most of the Earth societies in Daniel's time. To them, it was no big deal to be naked in front of each other. Though Egeria was not actually Roman, he bet that she had pretty much the same viewpoint.

Daniel started to blush, wondering what he was going to do. Egeria saw the blush and realized why it was there. She let out a laugh.

"Daniel, are you shy to reveal your body to me? From what I can see of it, it is strong and well formed."

Daniel's blush deepened. "Where I come from, bathing is done in private. Nudity is not allowed in public . . . well, except for certain exceptions. We have a different viewpoint on it than you do here."

Egeria's lips were quirked in amusement. "Very well. I will let you dress in private. There are other things I must attend to anyway. I came only to see if you were recovered."

"Yes. Thank you. I feel good."

Once she was gone, Daniel scrambled out of the water, hurriedly dried himself off and got dressed. After disposing of the bloody clothing, he headed to the library, where Decimus, who had heard about the incident, asked him what happened.

"At least there is one good thing about this," Daniel remarked after recounting the event. "I think the fear of having my throat cut succeeded in using up some of that extra energy. I have absolutely no desire to do any more walking today."

When Daniel returned to his quarters a few hours later, he stopped dead in his tracks, staring in utter shock at what lay on the table. It was his gun, knife and extra ammunition. He saw that there was a note with them and picked it up.

_"So that you may protect yourself,"_ the note said. There could be no doubt that it was from Egeria.

Daniel's gaze returned to the weapons. He could understand her giving the knife back, but the gun? Even though she had never seen it used and, therefore, didn't know the extent of its deadliness, she _did_ know that it could kill a Goa'uld. What he'd told her about the confrontation with Amaunet would have made her realize that. Giving this back to him was a demonstration of trust, a great deal of trust. She was telling him that she knew he would not hurt her with it.

Daniel put the weapons in the chest. Though he might carry the knife the next time he left the palace, he wasn't sure about the gun. He'd never liked carrying it anyway. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to worry about ever again being in a situation like the one today.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Egeria strode down the corridor, all trace of her amusement gone. The man who attacked Daniel would pay for what he had done. She had already given orders to her Jaffa to seek out anyone who might be able to identify him, with the promise of a generous reward to the person who did, regardless of whether the informant was a slave or freeman. And what would she do to the thief if he was caught? She had not decided yet.

Egeria knew that she should not be this angry. If it had been almost any other slave belonging to her, she would have been greatly displeased, but that would have been the extent of it. If it had been one of the handful that she cared about, such as her Lo'taur, she would surely have been angry, but she would not have been filled with the rage that presently burned within her.

But Daniel was not just a slave to her. In truth, she no longer looked upon him as a slave at all. She cared a great deal about him. The conversations that happened occasionally in the beginning were now taking place nearly every day. She looked forward to every one, immensely enjoying the minutes spent with him even though they did no more than talk.

Egeria had thought more than once about freeing him from the slavery that she had imposed upon him, but she knew what would happen if she did. Daniel would leave, go back to wherever it was in this galaxy that he called home. She would never see him again. Yes, she could order the Jaffa not to let him through the Stargate, but she had a feeling that, as intelligent as he was, he'd eventually figure out a way to get through it. And so she would keep him a slave, if only so that she would not lose him.

But what about when the year was over? She had not promised to free him at the end of that time, but, if she did not, it would be a betrayal of the trust that she hoped Daniel now had in her. All she could hope was that, by the end of that year, Daniel would have no desire to leave.

Deep down inside, Egeria knew that to feel this way for any human was not a good thing. Even if Daniel chose to stay, what future could they have? As a human, he would eventually grow old and die, whereas she would remain forever young. Once before, she had watched a man she cared about succumb to old age and death, and it had hurt. She suspected that, with Daniel, it would hurt far more.

Yet what could be done? If he was made a host, he would cease to be the man she cared about, his mind and heart imprisoned by a Goa'uld who would most likely use his body to do cruel and terrible things. No. That was something Egeria could not even consider. It would be far better to say goodbye to Daniel forever than to see him become like her fellow Goa'uld, whom she despised more with each passing year, especially Ra, for whom her hatred ran deep.

But now was not the time to think about such things. The year was far from over, and she would have many more pleasant days with Daniel. The time to think about the future could wait for another day.

* * *

Daniel glanced at Egeria as they walked through the garden, wondering how to broach the subject that he felt compelled to discuss. This morning, he'd learned that the thief who attacked him three days ago had been found. Egeria spared the man's life because he had spared Daniel's, but she had sentenced him to slave for four years in a Naquadah mine. Daniel knew that, depending on how harsh the conditions were in that mine, the thief might not even survive that long. Though he certainly deserved to be punished, that punishment was far harsher than Daniel would have wanted. Of course, for all he knew, the thief might also be a murderer. Some other victim might not have been as lucky as Daniel. But that was something he couldn't know for certain. And did the guy have a family who depended on him? Was his attempt to steal an act of desperation?

"Um . . . I'd like to talk to you about something," Daniel finally said.

"Certainly."

"It's about the man who attacked me. I found out what your sentence for him was. I wish . . . I wish you hadn't done that."

Surprised, Egeria stared at him. "Why?"

"I have some experience with Naquadah mines. I know how cruel and demanding the work is, that many slaves do not live long. That man tried to steal from me, but he didn't kill me. He could have killed me first, then went looking for my money. And we don't know why he did it. Maybe he was desperate for money to feed his family."

Egeria was amazed. Daniel was asking for mercy for the man who had attacked and nearly killed him.

"Why would you wish to extend mercy to him?" she asked.

"Because I think that punishment should fit the crime. I believe in justice, not revenge." He looked at her. "If some of the things I've heard about you are true, you understand the value of being a just ruler."

Daniel was referring to the legend of Egeria teaching Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, how to be a wise and just ruler. He didn't know how much of that legend was true, but he _did_ know that Egeria did, indeed, have a relationship of some kind with Numa. Anise had confirmed it.

Most Goa'uld would be outraged that a human would dare to counsel one of them, but Egeria was not offended. This was another example of the kindness and goodness of Daniel's heart, the same goodness that overlooked the fact that she was a member of the race he hated.

"What would _your_ punishment for him be?" she asked.

Daniel thought about it. "It would depend on the circumstances. If he acted out of a need to feed his family, then I think the punishment should be lighter. I understand what people will do for the sake of the ones they love. If, on the other hand, he's just a man who chooses to be a thief instead of working. . . ." Daniel thought about it for a while. "Where I come from, he would be thrown in prison for several years, but the prisons there are much kinder places than any prison the Goa'uld would have. Maybe a few years of hard labor would be a suitable punishment, but not in a mine, not someplace where people are worked so mercilessly."

Egeria paused for a moment before saying, "I will consider your request, Daniel. The man was to be sent through the Stargate later today, but I will hold off until I make a decision."

"Thank you."

The next day, Daniel was told that Egeria commuted the man's sentence to four years working in a quarry around ten miles from the city. Though it was still backbreaking work, at least he would not be under the cruel hand of a heartless Goa'uld. Daniel also learned that the man had no family to support.

The next few days passed quietly, Daniel spending most of his time doing translations in the library. Though he'd already translated a great deal of text, it was a mere drop in the bucket compared to what had yet to be done. That would still be true the day he left for home.

Daniel wondered who Egeria would turn to for translations after Decimus died. The man was around seventy Earth years old, according to Daniel's calculations, a great deal older than the ancient Romans on Earth lived. His ripe old age was partly thanks to the better quality of life that Egeria's subjects enjoyed. The food, health care and living conditions were all far superior to that of ancient Rome, all of which contributed to a longer life span for both men and women and a much lower infant mortality rate. Even so, Decimus was quite a bit older than most Estranian men lived, probably because he had an advantage that most other people on this planet didn't. According to him, more than once, Egeria had used her healing device on him to take care of some ailment. Unlike a sarcophagus, however, that device could not slow aging. Sooner or later, Decimus would die, and Egeria would be left without anyone to translate all her many scrolls and books.

The city was in the midst of a heat wave when Daniel was told that Aulus was requesting his help at the construction site. He headed straight over there. Since going to work at the palace, the archeologist had been "loaned out" to the master builder only a few times, each time when Aulus wanted advice on how to do something new and revolutionary. The builder had learned quite some time back that Daniel knew building techniques that were far more advanced than what he did and had taken advantage of that knowledge. This building would use techniques that, unknown to Aulus, were from hundreds of years in the future.

As Daniel listened to Aulus explain his newest idea, the archeologist's mind was only partly on what the man was saying. Today marked the three-month anniversary of the day he was sent back in time. Three _Earth_ months, that is. Estrania's months were from thirty-two to thirty-three days long, though the length of the hours and days appeared to be pretty close to that on Earth.

And then there was the length of the years. Daniel wasn't at all happy when he found out that they were fourteen months long since it meant that his enforced time here was going to be even longer than he'd originally believed. Totaling up the difference in the length of the months and the years, Daniel had calculated that he'd be here for around fifteen Earth months, fifteen months of slavery, of not being in control of his own life, of not having complete freedom in where he could go, what he could do.

Daniel knew that, as slavery went, his situation was a picnic compared to what many slaves throughout history had to endure, but it still chafed at him, and it bothered him to know that, no matter where he went, some Jaffa watching some monitor somewhere knew where he was at all times.

Aulus glanced at his former assistant. He could tell that Daniel's mind was elsewhere today and wondered what the man was thinking.

"You are distracted today," he finally said.

Daniel blinked and looked at him. "What? Oh. I'm sorry, Aulus. My mind has been on something else today."

"May I ask what?"

Daniel hesitated before replying. "As of today, it's been three of my homeworld's months since I came here."

"And was made a slave."

The archeologist's gaze drifted away. "Yes."

The master builder studied the younger man for a moment. "Come sit for a while," he then said, leading Daniel over to a large, flat boulder. They settled upon it. "I have never talked to you about this situation you are in. You have told me that you have no family, but I know that you have friends. They must be quite worried about you by now."

Daniel paused. If he managed to figure out how the time device worked and got it to return him to the same time as he left, Jack, Sam and Teal'c wouldn't even know he'd been gone until he told them. Of course, he couldn't tell Aulus that.

"Yes, I should imagine that they are," he said instead.

"Do they know where you are?"

"No. If they did, they'd have tried their best to come get me . . . which would not have been a good thing."

"How so?"

"Because they wouldn't have been able to accept my situation. They'd have tried to free me, which probably would have gotten them killed or also made slaves. It's better that they don't know."

"Will they not think that you are dead when so much time passes and you do not return?"

Daniel didn't reply, his eyes focusing on his lap. If, for some reason or another, he couldn't get back home, then, sooner or later, everyone might come to believe that he was dead, though he suspected that his teammates would not accept that easily.

"I am sorry. I have upset you," Aulus said. "I can only imagine the things you must be feeling. I was born a slave and given my freedom. You are the opposite, a freeborn man who has been forced into slavery. If I was you, I believe that I would be angry."

Daniel sighed and shook his head. "I'm not angry. In the beginning, I was upset, but never angry. I know that things could have been a lot worse. I've had plenty of experience with the cruelty of the Goa'uld, so I know that I was lucky that it was Egeria who enslaved me rather than one of the others."

Aulus searched Daniel's face intently. "Then you bear her no resentment?"

"No. She has been very kind to me, far kinder than she needed to be." Daniel smiled. "I've actually come to like her, which is really quite something considering what she is." The smile disappeared. "I have . . . good reason to hate the Goa'uld."

Aulus's gaze sharpened. "What is this reason?"

Daniel didn't reply for several seconds. "They are responsible for the death of my wife."

The master builder was horrified by the revelation. As a widower, he knew the pain of losing a wife, but his beloved Felicia's death was accidental, and he'd had the joy and privilege of thirty years with her. How much worse it must be for this young man, who could have had no more than a handful of years with the woman he loved.

Aulus laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "I am sorry."

Daniel nodded, remaining silent.

The master builder had to wonder how many men in Daniel's situation would bear no resentment toward Egeria, a woman who had not only enslaved him but was also a member of the race that was responsible for the death of his wife. In Daniel's position, Aulus suspected that _his_ emotions would not be nearly so kind.

Guessing that his former assistant would like some time to himself, Aulus got to his feet. "I have kept you from your duties at the palace long enough. I almost envy you today. It must be much cooler within the walls of the palace than out here."

Daniel also stood. Aulus was right about that. The palace was kept a comfortable temperate at all times, most likely courtesy of Goa'uld technology.

After saying goodbye, Daniel made his way back toward the palace. By the time he was halfway there, he was dripping with sweat. The thought came to him that a little swim would be quite refreshing. Making up his mind, he detoured to the river. There were several slaves bathing in the water when he got there. Going upstream from them a bit to a spot that he liked for its privacy, he sat down on a dead tree trunk to remove his shoes. As he did so, he glanced up and caught sight of something floating by in the water.

"Oh my God," he gasped upon realizing that it was the body of a child.

In the next second, Daniel was running to the river and diving headlong into the water. He swam with all his might to the unmoving form. Grabbing hold, he lifted the pale face out of the water and struggled back toward shore. The current had carried him down river far enough that the other slaves saw what was happening. Two of them dove in to help Daniel the rest of the way back.

The archeologist carried the limp body of the little girl out of the water and laid her on the ground. She wasn't breathing. He felt for a pulse and found one. His relief turned to horror upon feeling the pulse flutter to a stop beneath his fingertips.

"Someone get help!" he cried.

"The child is dead," said one of the slaves. "There is no helping her now."

"Just do it!"

Daniel turned back to the child and checked her airway to make sure it was unobstructed. He then began to give CPR. Unaware of the reaction of the shocked slaves, he alternated chest compressions with rescue breathing just as he'd been taught years ago. This was the first time he'd ever had to use it.

A crowd had begun gathering, and some of them started to mutter over what Daniel was doing. They did not understand, and a few mistook the archeologist's actions as a violation of the child's dead body. One man stepped forward to put a stop to it, but found his arm in the vice-like grip of a Jaffa.

"You will allow him to continue," the Jaffa commanded. He also did not know what Daniel was doing, but he had come to respect the man who had shown respect and kindness to him and his fellow Jaffa.

Daniel, totally oblivious to what was going on around him, kept working on the child.

"Come on, sweetheart," he murmured in English. "Come back to us." Moments later, his plea was rewarded. The girl gagged and coughed. He turned her on her side, watching as water drained from her mouth. "That's it. You're going to be okay now," he told her, this time in Goa'uld.

When the child's eyes fluttered open, virtually everyone there let out a gasp or exclamation. Daniel turned her on her back and smiled down at her, brushing the wet hair from her face.

"You brought her back from the dead," said a hushed voice.

Daniel looked up to see expressions of awe and amazement on the face of more than one person.

"No, I didn't. She wasn't dead, not really. Just because a person isn't breathing and their heart isn't beating doesn't mean that they're dead. Real death is more than that. What I did was just a medical procedure I learned. There is nothing magical about it."

Daniel wasn't sure how much his explanation would penetrate. To the ancient Romans, if you had no heartbeat and no respiration, you were dead, plain and simple. To bring someone back from that state would be magical in their eyes.

Deciding just to ignore the people, Daniel returned his attention to the girl. He made sure that she got all the water out of her lungs. He then picked her up and turned to one of the Jaffa.

"We need to find her parents."

A slave girl stepped forward timidly. "I recognize her. I know where she lives."

"Will you take us there?"

The girl nodded, bowing her head. Daniel frowned upon seeing the bow, but said nothing.

The crowd parted to let them pass. Accompanied by the Jaffa who prevented the man from stopping Daniel, they walked to the child's home. The girl's mother was horrified when she saw the state her daughter was in and snatched her from Daniel's arms. The Jaffa told the woman what Daniel had done, and she thanked him several times.

On the way back to the palace, the Jaffa addressed Daniel. "I have never before seen what you did with that child. I have seen the Goa'uld bring the dead back to life, but I have never seen a human do the same."

Daniel glanced at the large, dark-skinned man, who reminded him a little of Teal'c. "Like I said before, I did not really bring her back to life. To my people, death is not accepted easily. We fight it with all our might until there is no hope left for the person. What I did is something that has been done many, many times by a great many people on my world. It is a normal, proven method for restarting a person's heart and breathing. It does not always work; sometimes it simply isn't enough, but it has saved many lives."

"Nevertheless, it was an amazing feat."

Not wanting to leave a trail of water on the palace floor, Daniel tried to ring out his clothes the best that he could before entering. A slave brought him a blanket, which he wrapped around himself. In his room, he stripped and used the blanket as a towel to dry himself off. He had just finished putting on dry clothes when there was a knock on his door. He was shocked to see that it was Egeria. This was the first time she'd come to his room instead of having him join her elsewhere.

He invited her in. Her eyes went to the wet clothes on the floor.

"I have heard what you did," she said. "Some are saying that you resurrected the child from the dead."

Daniel let out a loud sigh. "I did no such thing. Her heart had stopped, and I just used a simple medical procedure to restart it. It's done all the time on my homeworld. I could teach anyone on this planet how to do the same thing. The girl wasn't dead, not in the way that my people view true death."

Egeria answered with a slight nod. The Jaffa who watched Daniel revive the child had described everything to her, including the murmurs they'd heard among some of the other witnesses after the girl appeared to magically return to life. It would seem that some were now questioning if Daniel was more than a mere human. To another Goa'uld, this would be instant cause for alarm. Daniel would be immediately killed to stop all such talk.

Egeria, on the other hand, was merely amused by the reaction. She believed Daniel when he said that it was a simple medical procedure, no magical powers involved. There was no reason to be concerned by what some were presently thinking. In time, this talk would fade, and everything would return to normal.

* * *

Much to Daniel's relief, the hubbub about the "resurrection" of the little girl died down after several days, although the archeologist did notice that a great many of the slaves treated him differently, with a level of deference they didn't display before that whole thing happened. He really preferred things the way it used to be.

The archeologist may not have been happy, but Aulus thought it was quite amusing to see some slaves bowing their heads like Daniel was a freeman as he kept telling them to please stop. Like others, the master builder had been amazed when he heard the story of what Daniel did, but he believed his former assistant's explanation. Daniel had already proven himself to be unlike anyone Aulus had ever met. Was it really all that surprising that the man also knew how to bring life back to a stilled heart?

Egeria was also glad that the talk about Daniel had faded as she had believed it would, although she could not help but notice that his position in the eyes of many of the other slaves in the palace had gone up quite a bit, which was something that pleased her. She wanted them to respect him, to recognize that he was special. She knew that some wondered why she favored him, especially since he had been here for so short a time. Perhaps those who questioned it would now see in him what she did.

Every now and then, Egeria liked to travel out into the countryside. She wanted to do so again, and, this time, she intended to take Daniel with her.

The archeologist was quite surprised when the Goa'uld queen invited him to come with her on her little jaunt, but jumped at the chance to get out of the city for a while. He'd assumed that they'd travel on foot, or, rather, him on foot and Egeria in her litter with its sedan chair, the usual method of transportation for Roman royalty. He was shocked when, instead, an open carriage drawn by two white horses pulled up outside the palace.

"You look surprised," Egeria remarked. "Have you never before seen such a thing?"

"Um, actually, yes, I have, but, from what I know about Rome, they don't have things like this."

"That is true, or at least it was when I left there. I saw a similar carriage on one of the worlds I visited. I liked it, so I had one built for me. It is far quicker and more pleasurable than my litter." She smiled. "And it will also seat two."

As Daniel and Egeria rode in the carriage, four Jaffa accompanied them on horseback. Having never seen a Jaffa on a horse before, Daniel found it an interesting sight. In Egeria's domain, Jaffa took the place of Roman soldiers, though, without any wars to fight, their duties were pretty much limited to protecting their queen and maintaining order on Estrania.

Daniel had been hoping that they'd head north or south or perhaps even cross the bridge over the river and go east. Instead, they went west, the one direction he _didn't_ want them to go.

As they headed down the road, Daniel kept his attention on the countryside, trying not to think about the fact that they were getting progressively closer to the Furling ruins.

"The weather is quite pleasant today," Egeria commented, startling Daniel.

"Um, yes. Yes, it is. I'm glad that the heat has eased."

Egeria looked at him. "Are you enjoying the ride?"

"Uh huh. It's nice. Thank you for inviting me."

"I should imagine that you have tired of being confined to the city."

"Well, I do have to admit that I'm not used to being city bound for so long. I'm accustomed to traveling."

Egeria nodded. Though this little carriage ride could not make up for the fact that he was no longer free to roam wherever he wished, she had hoped that it would please him. However, that was not the only reason for taking him on this trip. She had come to suspect something about Daniel, and this little outing would give her the opportunity to observe his reaction to being here.

They'd been traveling for a while when Egeria told the driver to stop the carriage. Daniel was not happy with how close they were to the ruins and was fervently hoping that Egeria wouldn't decide to go investigate them. He didn't think he'd be able to remain calm if she did.

They got out of the carriage and began walking slowly down the road, two of the Jaffa shadowing them. Daniel thought he was doing a pretty good job of remaining outwardly calm – until Egeria abruptly pointed at the ruins and asked, "In all your travels, have you ever seen the likes of those?"

"Uh . . . no, I can't say that I have," Daniel replied truthfully.

"Some months after I chose this world to be the site of my city, I investigated them. They are quite old. There is writing inside in a language I have never seen anywhere else."

Daniel's mind was racing. Egeria had been in the ruins? Then she must have seen the pedestal. Obviously, she couldn't know what it was, though.

"I sent Decimus to examine the writing many years ago, but he could not decipher it either." Egeria glanced at him. "Perhaps you would have better luck."

Crap. Was that why she'd brought him here? She was hoping that he could translate the writing in the ruins?

"I probably would have no luck either," he said. "The number of languages I know is minuscule compared to how many there are in the galaxy, about like comparing a single grain of sand to all the beaches on this planet."

Egeria nodded. "You are most likely right. There would be no harm in taking a look, though."

Daniel was beginning to wonder of the Fates of Greek and Roman mythology actually existed and were having fun toying with him when a distant clap of thunder heralded his salvation. They turned to see dark clouds on the horizon, threatening to bring some summer rain.

Egeria sighed. "It appears that it will have to wait for another day. That storm will not take long to arrive. We must hurry back."

The return trip was made at a much faster speed. Even so, they hadn't been in the palace for long when the sky opened up.

Egeria ordered some lunch and asked Daniel to join her for the meal. They went to the sitting room, which was where they ate every time the archeologist shared a meal with her.

As they waited for the food, Daniel went to a window and watched the rain come down. As he stood there, Egeria studied him closely. Though he had told her much about his adventures and shared some personal things about himself, there were still many mysteries surrounding him, not the least of which being the name of the world he called home. She knew that he had a home, that having been made evident by some of the things he said, but he'd revealed very little about that world or its people. Were they the makers of his weapons and other devices? If so, it was a world far superior in technology than any other human world about which she had heard. It could be for that reason that he said so little about it, because he feared what might happen if the Goa'uld learned about it. Egeria knew that fear was warranted. The Goa'uld would not allow a human society that had advanced so far to continue. It would be perceived as a possible future threat. If it had been any other Goa'uld besides her who had captured Daniel, he would have been tortured until he told them all he knew, especially if they had learned the same thing she did a few days ago.

She had been speaking with the farmers who produced food for the city's population. When one of them saw Daniel and quite clearly recognized him, she questioned the man. From him she learned that the day Daniel was arrested he had been seen on the same road they'd traveled upon today. This intrigued Egeria. She had believed that he had not been on the planet for long when he was arrested, yet, if the witness was to be believed, Daniel would have had to walk through the city from the Stargate, then out beyond the city some distance, only to turn around and come back. Why would he do such a thing?

Curious, Egeria questioned the Jaffa who were stationed at the Stargate the day she had believed Daniel arrived and discovered that they had no memory of his arrival. With his strange clothing and unfamiliar face, the Jaffa surely would have made note of him. In fact, by rights, he should have been stopped and questioned. As she dug further into the mystery, she discovered that there were no Jaffa who saw Daniel arrive on _any_ day. That was quite impossible . . . if he came through the Stargate. But if he did not come through the portal, how did he get here? There was only one answer.

This had been one of the reasons why she'd invited him to join her on her carriage ride. She had wanted to see his reaction to being out there. At times, he had appeared tense, and his quietness indicated that his mind had been on something. Perhaps it was time for her to find out if her suspicions were correct.

The food arrived. As they ate, the queen asked about Aulus and how things were coming along with the gallery, then how Daniel's own work was progressing. The meal was almost finished when she steered the conversation into the desired direction.

"I discovered something of great interest several days ago," she said.

Daniel looked at her. "Oh? What's that?"

"As you may know, it is harvest time for some of the summer crops, and the farmers who grow our food were here to report on their expected yield and to obtain additional workers for their fields." Egeria's eyes came to rest upon Daniel. "One of them recognized you. He saw you on the road west of the city on the day that you were arrested. This intrigued me, so I decided to investigate. I learned that none of the Jaffa who have the duty of guarding the Stargate recall ever seeing you come through, not on that day nor any other."

Daniel's tension level immediately shot into orbit. He was trying to hide it, but he was getting really worried. There could be no doubt that Egeria suspected he hadn't arrived via the Stargate. If she confronted him outright, what was he going to do? Did she think he came by ship? If she demanded that he reveal its location, he wouldn't be able to do so since there was no ship.

"I am curious. Have you ever piloted a spacecraft, Daniel?" Egeria asked casually as she nibbled on a piece of cheese.

_'Oh, God. What am I going to do now?'_ Very cautiously, Daniel replied. "Um . . . yes. Nothing big, though, just small ships."

"Interesting. I am not surprised. You appear to have a great deal of familiarity with more advanced technology." Egeria rose to her feet. "It grows late, and I am sure that you have more work to attend to this day. We will speak again another time."

Daniel just sat and gaped at the Goa'uld queen for several seconds before gathering his wits enough to get up and leave the room. What the hell just happened? He'd been certain that Egeria was going to demand to know if he'd come to the planet by ship and where that ship was. Would she ask another day? Why put it off? Was she going to send her Jaffa out looking for it? No, that made no sense. Why waste all that time when she'd believe that she could learn its exact location from Daniel?

The archeologist thought again about escape, wondering if he would have no choice but to try. The problem was that he didn't know how accurate the device was that tracked the signal from his slave bracelet. Would it be able to pinpoint his precise location once he was outside the city? If it was on a ship or some kind of satellite in orbit, it probably could. If, on the other hand, it was something inside the city, it might not be quite so precise.

If Egeria believed that he came by ship, which seemed pretty obvious now, and he was to suddenly vanish off the "grid" in the vicinity of the Furling ruins, would she assume that his ship had been hidden there, cloaked so that no one would see it? Did cloaking technology even exist at this time in history? Judging by what Aris Boch had said, he didn't think so, or at least not to the Goa'ulds' knowledge.

Daniel knew that he could take the chance and go ahead and make a break for it, but it would be a huge risk. If everyone assumed that the sensors tracking him had been a little off in their positioning, that, instead of being inside the ruins when he disappeared, he was actually nearby, it would be all right. But if they didn't. . . .

The archeologist wondered if the Asgard had their beaming technology this far back in history. A cloaked ship in orbit waiting to beam him up at a signal from him, perhaps from a device he'd hidden in the ruins, would be a logical explanation for his disappearance. But if such technology didn't even exist yet, what would Egeria think?

Daniel didn't know what to do. More than his own fate might ride on his decision. If he made the wrong one and that time travel device fell into the hands of the Goa'uld, he would be partly to blame for all the calamities that followed.

Daniel decided that, for now, the best thing to do would be to wait and see what happened. If Egeria began pushing him about how he got to the planet, then he would have no choice but to attempt an escape.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Daniel's tension level was still high the next day. First thing in the morning, he visited a craftsman who worked in leather and hired him to make a pouch that would slide onto Daniel's belt. It was a simple job, so the man said it would be done by tomorrow.

After leaving the leather worker's shop, Daniel walked through the city, laying out his escape route and deciding where the best place to get a horse would be. Daniel knew that Jack would be pleased by his efforts to plan out his escape in advance.

Once he was sure that he had the best and quickest route mapped out, Daniel returned to the palace. Throughout the rest of that day, he kept expecting to be called before Egeria and commanded to tell her where his ship was hidden, but he ended up not seeing her at all.

The next morning, the archeologist went to pick up the pouch. Once he was back in his room, he retrieved an item from the chest at the foot of his bed. For a moment, he stared at the gun, then slipped it into the pouch, closing the flap and hiding it from view.

Daniel didn't like the idea of having to carry the weapon, but, if he was forced to make a quick getaway, it might be needed. He had no intention of shooting anyone, but having a weapon would increase his chances of stealing a horse and getting out of there. His knife would be going into the pouch as well.

After learning that Daniel sometimes liked to work on translations out in the north garden, where there was no sun to damage the writing on the delicate scrolls, Egeria had given him a large leather satchel in which to carry things. Night before last, Daniel had packed his BDUs, vest and other belongings into it so that he'd be ready to go at a moment's notice.

When Daniel was asked to join Egeria that afternoon, he was sure this was it, the moment he'd been dreading. The gun felt heavy in the pouch at his waist, a dead weight that he was praying he didn't have to use.

"Ah, Daniel," she greeted. "I wished you to know that we must move you to another room tomorrow."

Daniel blinked a couple times, taken off-guard by the announcement. "Um . . . you do? Why?"

"I have acquired three new slaves, men taken from a freeman who was treating them very poorly. They are in ill health, and I wish to see that they are well cared for, so I chose to take them myself rather than giving them to another freeman. Because of this, we must convert the room you are in to one that will hold two of the three slaves."

Daniel was happy to hear that Egeria had stepped in and rescued the slaves from a bad situation. He knew that there were laws here governing the treatment of slaves, unlike in ancient Rome, where they were considered to be objects rather than living beings and, therefore, had no rights at all, their owners free to do anything they pleased to them.

"So, where am I going to be moved?"

"There is another section of the palace where the slaves of higher station live. We will put you there."

Again, Daniel was surprised. He knew that there was a sort of hierarchy among the slaves in Egeria's palace. On the lowest rung of the ladder were the ones who performed the most menial tasks. On the highest rungs were those like Camilla, Egeria's Lo'taur, and, until he was given his freedom, Decimus, slaves who were considered to be the most valuable, whose duties held a measure of prestige. The system worked well since every slave who performed their duties well and faithfully had the hope that they would eventually be "promoted" to a better position. It helped keep the slaves motived without the use of threats and punishment to keep them in line.

Apparently, Daniel was receiving one of those promotions. Considering that he'd been here such a short time, he should be flattered. Instead, he was just surprised and a little puzzled. Weren't there other slaves with greater seniority whom such a move up the ladder should go to first?

"Um . . . thank you. I have to admit that I'm surprised, though. I've been here for only three months, and I should think that there are others who should go in front of me."

Egeria smiled at the display of Daniel's humility. "Do you think that you are unworthy of being given a higher standing among the servants here? Your work in the library is of great value, Daniel. Decimus says that you are invaluable to him. And this is not counting the aid you have given to Aulus, who has told me that the gallery will be a marvel thanks mostly to you. Though you have been here only a few months, you have earned the right to join the ranks of the most important servants in the palace."

Embarrassed, Daniel thanked her again. He really hoped that there was nothing more to this, that this wasn't part of some plot to make him feel more at ease and content before asking him to tell her where his nonexistent ship was hidden.

Daniel knew that he was probably doing Egeria a disservice by thinking that she might trick him like that. After all, so far, she'd given him no reason to suspect that she had ulterior motives regarding him, at least none that were sinister. But the fact remained that she was a Goa'uld, a member of a species that was known for its deceit, trickery and backstabbing. Egeria might be miles above the other Goa'uld when it came to her conduct, but their self-serving disposition was still a part of her genetic makeup, born into her through millennia of racial memory. No matter how nice she was to him, he couldn't let himself trust her completely.

The move took place early the next morning. The area of the palace where he would now be living was closer to the library, which would make it more convenient. Daniel's new room was just a little larger than the one he'd had before, but it was a great deal airier, with very a large window going almost all the way to the ceiling that looked out upon one of the gardens. Facing the east, it would get the morning sun. The room also had more furniture, three chairs instead of two – one of which was quite well-padded – a second table between two of the chairs, and an open shelving unit that could be used for storage or as a display case.

Taking advantage of that third thing, Daniel folded his tunics and placed them on one of the shelves instead of sticking them in the chest, which he reserved for the things he'd had with him when he arrived on the planet. On another shelf he put the paper and writing implements he'd purchased. On the top shelf he carefully set the vase that Egeria had given to him.

Once he was all done moving in, Daniel went off to the library. Decimus smiled upon seeing him.

"So, are your new quarters to your liking?" the old man asked.

"Yes, they're very nice. The view is definitely better. And it smells better, too. The other room was close enough to the stables that I could sometimes smell the manure. Now, I smell flowers instead. Big improvement."

Decimus chuckled. "I'll wager that if you asked Gaius, the stablemaster, he'd claim that manure smells sweeter to him than any flower."

Daniel smiled at the comment. He studied Decimus, who'd gone back to his work. There was a question he'd been wanting to ask, but he hadn't felt that it was safe to do so. He was now thinking that it would be all right.

"Um, Decimus? Egeria told me about the language she found in the ruins to the west of the city. She said that you took a look at it and couldn't translate it."

"Ah, yes. I remember that. It was many years ago. It captured my interest for quite some time. I copied all the writing I found so that I could study it here, but I had no luck at all in deciphering it."

Daniel was excited to hear that Decimus had copied all the writing. With his limited understanding of the language, perhaps he might learn something that would help him figure out how the time device worked.

"May I see it?" he asked.

Decimus went over to one of the shelves and perused the contents for a while. He retrieved half a dozen large scrolls and gave them to Daniel, who unrolled one of them, his eyes scanning the writing.

"Do you know the language?" Decimus asked after watching Daniel for a few seconds.

"I believe I have seen it somewhere before, but what I saw was just a small sample, and it was in a structure that hadn't been used for a long time."

"Then you cannot read it."

"Um . . . no."

Clearly disappointed, the elderly man went back to his work. Daniel felt bad about the half-lie, but he couldn't have told the truth. Egeria must not know that he could read any part of this language.

That evening, instead of eating with the other slaves, Daniel took his food back to his room and began studying the writing on the scrolls. He recognized a character here and there, those that he'd learned from the writing in that meeting chamber on Heliopolis, and was able to guess at the contents of some sentences based upon the meaning of those characters. He wrote down everything, hoping that the guesswork might lead to more discoveries. Daniel knew, however, that it would be impossible to translate even a small portion of this. He simply did not know enough.

For some reason unknown to Daniel, that time device had sent him back to this date. Had it been completely random, just a matter of happenstance that he was sent to this time rather than some other century, some other millennium, or had something been in control? It was a question Daniel needed to answer, for how could he have any hope of returning to his own time if he didn't even know how to set the thing?

Daniel discovered that Decimus had drawn a representation of the top of the pedestal and the panel. He paid particular attention to it, matching the characters with ones found elsewhere in the ruins. From his guesswork, he tentatively identified the meaning of three more characters on the pedestal.

It was quite late before Daniel gave up for the night. Maybe by the time his year here was up, he'd have learned what he needed to know.

* * *

Over the next two days, Daniel kept his guard up, still wondering if Egeria was going to ask him about a ship. It was on the sixth day after she had revealed her suspicions that he finally let himself relax. As amazing as it seemed, she was apparently going to let him keep his secret about exactly how he got there.

The archeologist's relief didn't last for long. That afternoon, he received some alarming news. Egeria was expecting a visitor – and that visitor was Lord Yu. Daniel knew that, above all, he must not let Yu see him. Though the likelihood that the Goa'uld would actually remember his face some two thousand years later when they'd meet again was very remote, the archeologist couldn't take the chance.

He had to wonder about the visit, what the reason for it was. None of the servants he questioned knew, and he certainly wasn't going to ask Egeria.

As it turned out, he didn't have to ask.

The day before Yu was scheduled to arrive, Daniel was called to the sitting room.

"As I am sure you are aware, one of my fellow Goa'uld is coming here tomorrow," Egeria said.

Daniel nodded. "Lord Yu."

Egeria searched his face. "Have you met him?"

Daniel paused before replying. "Yes, once."

Egeria took a sip of her wine. "Among my species, he is far less unpleasant than what is normal. He actually seems to understand what the word honor means, which is a concept mostly foreign to the Goa'uld. In truth, he is the only one whose company I can stomach. He is here to discuss an alliance."

Daniel's gaze sharpened. "An alliance?"

"Yes. As you may know, Goa'uld queens are small in number. Some ally with one particular System Lord, giving all her offspring to that one in exchange for the greater power and protection that the System Lord can give to them. Up until now, I have not done so, partly because there was no System Lord with whom I had any desire to align myself."

Daniel's mind was absorbing this information. He didn't recall seeing anything about an alliance between Yu and Egeria in the Tok'ra historical records, but that didn't mean it didn't happen. But would it be a good idea?

"Um . . . well, an alliance with Yu might have its advantages . . . and its disadvantages," he cautiously responded.

Egeria smiled slightly. "Please explain."

"Well, aligning with Lord Yu might be beneficial if you ever needed help. He has ships, armies, the might of a System Lord. If trouble came, he could help get you out of it. But, um . . . there's also the other side of the coin. Any enemy of his would very likely consider you an enemy as well, which means that they might decide to attack you as a way of striking at him. It could actually put you in greater danger."

Egeria nodded. "Your words are wise and are in keeping with my own thoughts. I hesitate to make a deal that could threaten the security of my domain. As things are now, no Goa'uld has a reason to attack me."

"Then you're going to say no?"

"I will listen to his words and arguments. It is wise to do so. Whether or not I accept his offer is a decision I will make after I have heard all he has to say. But enough about that. The reason I requested your presence was that I am assuming you would rather not see or be seen by Lord Yu."

For a panicked second, Daniel wondered if Egeria had figured out that he was from the future. Then he realized that she was making this assumption because she knew how he felt about the Goa'uld.

"Um, yes, you're right about that. I would prefer to be as far from him as possible."

Egeria gave him a smile. "Then I will grant your wish. I doubt that Yu will want to go anywhere but the palace, so if you spend the day with Aulus, it is likely that you will not be in a position to have to suffer Yu's presence."

Daniel relaxed. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

And so it was that Daniel spent the entire next day with the master builder. Aulus was delighted and took advantage of the archeologist's presence.

The gallery was coming right along, the construction flowing smoothly, with few delays. By the time Daniel left for home, it might actually be finished, which made him wish that he still had some battery life left in his camera. He'd have liked to have some video of the building he'd helped to create.

The sun was creeping toward the horizon when Daniel returned to the palace. He approached it cautiously, hoping that Yu was long gone. It would be just his luck that the Goa'uld was still here, and they'd bump into each other.

Thankfully, Daniel's luck was good this time. He learned that Yu had departed a while ago. He was really curious about what Egeria had decided. When he was summoned by her that evening, he figured that he was about to find out.

"I refused Lord Yu's request for an alliance," the Goa'uld queen told him.

"How did he react?"

"He was not pleased, but he understood my reasons for the refusal. There will be no trouble from him."

"That's good." Daniel hesitated before saying his next words. "Um . . . this whole thing has made me wonder about something. I know that, after you've produced offspring, they're taken someplace to be implanted in Jaffa, but what about the symbiotes that mature inside your own Jaffa? What's done with them?"

Egeria studied Daniel closely. Considering his own experience and his feelings regarding the Goa'uld taking unwilling hosts, she had a good idea why he was asking.

"Most Goa'uld of higher standing can select what humans will be made hosts to the symbiotes that mature within their Jaffa. Unless I was to choose men and women from my own domain to be hosts, I do not have that same power."

Daniel was no longer looking at her. "And have you ever done that?"

"No, Daniel, I have not."

Daniel breathed a silent sigh of relief. "I'm . . . I'm glad."

Egeria gave him a gentle smile, understanding his feelings. "When the time for a symbiote to be removed from one of my Jaffa grows near, my priests contact others to learn who wishes to take it. Once they get an answer, the Jaffa goes through the Stargate to where the mature symbiote will be removed and a new one implanted in his pouch."

"Thank you for explaining. I appreciate it."

Daniel left a few minutes later. In his quarters, he sat on the sill of the open window and stared up at the stars, thinking about the fact that, in one way, Egeria was already like a Tok'ra. She had told him that she did not take unwilling hosts, and he now knew that she'd also never subjected any of her citizens to that fate. He was really beginning to see how it was that she was able to take that final step to truly being a Tok'ra.

But when was that final step going to happen? During these months, Daniel had been studying this world's calendar, trying to compare it to the one the Tok'ra used, and he'd come to the conclusion that Egeria's rebellion would come quite soon, perhaps sometime within the next few years.

The thought came to Daniel that, if he had to get sent back in time, at least it was to a time that was on the eve of one of the greatest turning points in the galaxy's history.

* * *

Two days later, Daniel was back at the construction site with Aulus. A mistake had been made by one of the man's assistants, resulting in a lot of work being done incorrectly. The master builder was fuming, and a somewhat amused Egeria told Daniel to go calm him down before he strangled the unfortunate assistant. It took the archeologist an hour or so defuse the situation, after which a much calmer Aulus treated him to lunch, though he insisted that it wasn't necessary.

They were returning from the meal when they heard a commotion nearby. They followed the noise to its source and witnessed two men in what was clearly a heated dispute as a frightened young woman looked on. Suddenly, one of the men pulled a knife and plunged it into the chest of the other one, who fell and did not move. Stunned by the murder they'd just witnessed, Daniel and Aulus rushed forward. The killer saw them and grabbed the woman, using her as a shield, the knife hovering mere inches from her throat.

"Come no closer!" he yelled.

Daniel held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Calm down. Why don't you just let her go? You don't have to hurt her."

"No! She betrayed me! I gave her my love, and she betrayed me with that man!"

"Please. I know you must be angry, but if you truly love her, you wouldn't really want to hurt her, would you?"

The man shook his head. "I will not let another have her. She is mine!"

Daniel stared into the man's eyes and saw rage, hatred and the gleam of madness. He had a terrible feeling that he wouldn't be able to reason with the guy. Where was a Jaffa when you needed one? But then, what could a Jaffa do? Their staff weapons could not hit the man without hitting the woman as well.

Daniel's thoughts went to the gun that was inside the pouch on his belt. Could he shoot the killer without hitting the girl? He'd become a pretty good shot after hours spent on the shooting range at Jack's insistence, but precision when firing at a cardboard or paper target was not the same thing as it was when someone's life was hanging in the balance. On top of that, he wasn't wearing his glasses.

As he continued talking softly, Daniel moved around behind Aulus, taking the gun out of the pouch when the killer could not see what he was doing. He then slowly lifted the weapon and aimed it at the only place he could hope to hit the guy without also hitting the woman: the man's head.

"Please let her go," Daniel pleaded. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to. This weapon can kill you, and it can do it faster than you can use that knife. So why don't you just put the knife down and surrender. I promise I won't hurt you if you do."

The man stared at the gun. Aulus was staring at it, too, but Daniel paid no attention to that. His eyes remained focused on the murderer, watching for any sign that the guy was about to use the knife. It came around ten seconds later.

"Noooo!" the man suddenly wailed. He lifted the knife, intending to plunge it into the woman. Knowing he had no choice, Daniel took the shot.

The single report of the Beretta echoed off the walls of the nearby buildings, the sound startling the city's inhabitants, a sound the likes of which none of them had ever heard. The bullet hit right where Daniel had aimed, dead center in the man's forehead. The result stunned Aulus, who stared, open-mouthed as the murderer fell to the ground, his head a bloody mess. The master builder's gaze went to the one who had killed the man and saw anguish in his former assistant's eyes. Daniel turned away quickly to brace his hand against a wall, his face pale.

Several people appeared, drawn by the sound of the gunshot. Among them were three Jaffa. It was at that moment that a horrible, gut-wrenching realization hit Aulus. Daniel, a slave, had just killed a freeman, and the punishment for such a thing was death.

The master builder frantically tried to think of a way that he could take responsibility for the killer's death, but there was no way. The woman would reveal that it was Daniel who did it.

As the Jaffa asked what had just happened, Daniel straightened and stepped away from the wall. In the months that he'd been here, he had familiarized himself with the various laws of Egeria's domain. He knew what he had just done. He'd sentenced himself to death. If a freeman killed another to protect someone's life, he was pardoned of the killing. That exception to the law did not extend to when it was a slave who killed a freeman.

Aulus tried his best to plead Daniel's case, to impress upon the Jaffa that the man Daniel killed was insane and was about to take the life of the woman, but the Jaffa knew the law and what they had to do. They stepped up to Daniel, who freely surrendered his weapon, his eyes telling them that he was aware of the fate that awaited him.

There was regret on the faces of the Jaffa who took Daniel back to the palace. Their grip on his arms was firm but not painful, something for which the archeologist was grateful, though he knew that the kind treatment would not change his fate. There was only one person who could save him now, and he wasn't sure if even she could. Though Egeria was the god and queen of these people, if she defied one of her own laws for the sake of a slave, it could cause trouble. Ironically, if Egeria had been like every other Goa'uld, one who ruled with an iron fist and absolute power, it would have made no difference. The people wouldn't have dared to question her. But because she ruled justly, with legal codes, acting more like a queen than a god, her situation was different.

Instead of being taken to the throne room, Daniel was locked in a cell in a chamber beneath the palace. Most of the other cells were empty. He guessed that this was not the only prison in the city.

Daniel sat against the wall on a straw mat. The only other things in the cell were a chamber pot and a pair of manacles hanging from one of the walls. He couldn't help but wonder how often those manacles were used.

As he sat in the dim cell, the only light coming from the torches out in the hall, Daniel tried to think of what else he could have done besides shoot the man. Perhaps if he hadn't drawn his gun, the guy wouldn't have gone off the deep end. Maybe Daniel could have talked him into surrendering. The archeologist recalled the insanity he'd seen in the man's eyes, the anger and hatred. Would any amount of talking have done any good? Trying to reason with the guy might have just ended with the woman being killed.

Daniel thought about what he had done. This was the first time that he'd killed a human being face-to-face. He knew that there had been humans onboard Ra's ship when they blew it up, some of them children. There were likely also human slaves on the ships that came to attack Earth, ships that he helped to destroy. But that was different. He hadn't looked into the eyes of any of those people when they died.

Daniel didn't know how long he'd been sitting in the cell when the Jaffa came for him, though it felt like several hours. He was taken to the throne room, which he hadn't been in since the day he arrived. Egeria sat on the throne, her back stiff and straight, her face showing no emotion. When he was brought up to the dais, however, Daniel saw the deep sorrow in her eyes.

"I have been told what you did, Daniel, how you killed the freeman named Herminius Gallus. You must have known that the punishment for a slave killing a freeman is death."

Daniel took a deep breath. "Yes, I knew. I didn't want to kill him, but I had no choice. If I hadn't done it, he would have killed that woman."

Egeria searched his eyes. "You knowingly condemned yourself to death for the sake of a woman you did not even know?"

Daniel met her gaze unflinchingly. "I'd do it again, if I had no other choice, Egeria. That's just who I am. This isn't the first time I've risked my life to help someone else," he paused, "though I'm, uh . . . kind of guessing that it's probably going to be the last."

The pain in Egeria's eyes deepened. She turned to the Jaffa who stood on either side of Daniel. "Leave us," she barked.

The Jaffa hesitated.

"But My Queen—" one started to say.

"Leave us, I said," Egeria turned to all the other Jaffa in the throne room. "All of you!"

Bowing their heads, all of the Jaffa exited the room.

Egeria rose and left the dais. "Aulus pleaded for your life," she said. "He got on his knees and begged me to spare you just as he begged me to save the life of his wife when she was ill."

Daniel closed his eyes for a moment against the sudden sting of tears.

"Decimus begged as well, weeping with the strength of his pleas." All semblance of Egeria's emotionlessness was now gone. "I do not wish to put you to death, Daniel, but the laws I created for my domain are clear. If a slave deliberately takes the life of a free citizen, he must die. It is only now that I see the error of that law, the way that I failed to create a just and fair law for _all_ my people, slave and freeman alike. As the ruler of this world, it is within my power to pardon the crimes of someone in my domain. If you had been a freeman who committed some crime, I could have pardoned you, and none would have dared question it. But you are a slave, and if I pardoned you of this . . . this crime that is truly no crime at all, it could breed anger and resentment among the freemen. I can change the law, but. . . ."

"But it wouldn't apply to me since the old law was still in place when I killed that man," Daniel guessed. He considered telling Egeria that, where he came from, if a law was changed, the change often applied even to people who had already committed a crime, like when a state changed their laws to ban the death penalty. But that was on Earth in the future, not here and now.

Egeria walked away several feet. "For the first time in my life, I wish that I ruled as my fellow Goa'uld do, with fear and a demand for absolute obedience. No subject under the dominion of one of them would dare question any decision they made. They could pardon you, and none could object."

Egeria turned and looked at the man her own laws had doomed to death. How could she do this, execute someone who had done nothing wrong, who had, in fact, saved the life of another? She should have set him free weeks ago, when she first considered it. Then he would be gone. He would be safe. But, now, it was too late.

Egeria knew that to assure no trouble in her domain, she had no choice but to have Daniel put to death, but just the thought of it made her feel like she was being torn apart inside. There had to be something else that could be done yet still maintain order and peace on Estrania. There had to be!

"Egeria."

Daniel's gentle voice interrupted the Goa'uld queen's thoughts. She met his eyes. He was looking at her with understanding.

"I understand, Egeria," he said. "I do. I wouldn't want you to risk the peace and stability of this planet just for my sake."

Instead of soothing her, Daniel's words deepened her pain even more. She came up to him and laid a hand on his cheek.

"How did you come to have a heart so good and pure?" she whispered.

"It's not pure, Egeria. I just know that, in the grand scheme of things, my life isn't all that important." Daniel wished he could tell her how important _she_ was, how vital it was that nothing be done to change the destiny that lay before her. If he had to die to maintain the status quo, to make sure that, someday, she would become the mother of the Tok'ra, so be it.

For a very long moment, Egeria's deep brown eyes gazed into Daniel's blue ones, then she stepped away and ascended the dais to sit upon the throne. Daniel stood where he was and waited for the words that he was sure would sentence him to death.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Egeria's First Prime came into the throne room.

"My deepest apologies, My Queen," he said. "There is a group of citizens asking to see you regarding the fate of this slave."

Latching onto the excuse to delay Daniel's sentencing, Egeria told the Jaffa to let them in. A group of sixteen people entered. Among them were Aulus, Decimus, and two freemen who worked in the palace. Daniel also saw a few other familiar faces, including the mother of the child he saved from drowning. He guessed that the man who stood close beside her was her husband. And then he saw yet another person he recognized: the woman who was almost killed by the man he now knew was named Herminius Gallus.

The group came to a stop before the throne and went to their knees.

"My Queen, we have come to petition for Daniel's life," Aulus announced. "All of us here are free men and women. The law states that if the people wish to petition for a change in a law or the punishment of a crime or if they wish to bring about some other change, they must gather in a peaceful group and come before you with their arguments. This group is small, but, if given time, we could gather more."

Aulus lifted his gaze to Egeria. "I have spoken to you of the circumstances surrounding the death of the murderer, Herminius Gallus. You know that Daniel killed him to save the life of another, that there was no other course of action he could have taken, except to let the woman die. These others before you now wish to speak words in his defense."

The woman Daniel saved from being killed stood and came forward, along with a man and woman who were probably her parents and another man who appeared to be just a few years older than her.

"My Queen," said the young woman. "What you have been told is true. Herminius was a suitor who sought my hand in marriage, but I did not love him, so I rejected him. He refused to accept my rejection. He began to follow me wherever I went, watching my parents' home when I was there. He frightened me. My father drove him away more than once, but he kept returning. Today, he followed me to a place where I met a man for whom I had feelings. When he saw me with Cnaeus, he went mad, saying that I was his and no other man could have me." Tears filled the woman's eyes. "He pulled a knife from his robes and plunged it into Cnaeus' heart. That is when this man," she pointed at Aulus, "and the slave, Daniel, arrived. Herminius put the knife to my throat, and I believed that he was going to kill me. Daniel spoke to him in soothing tones, tried to calm him, but the madness within Herminius was too great. It was then that Daniel revealed the strange weapon. He told Herminius that he did not want to hurt him and pleaded that Herminius release me and surrender. But, instead, Herminius tried to kill me. If Daniel had not killed him I would be dead."

The woman's father stepped up beside her. "My daughter speaks the truth. Three times I drove Herminius away from our home, yet he kept returning. She feared him, spoke of how he followed her when she walked in the city. I intended to approach the magistrate to report Herminius' actions, but I did not act quickly enough. If it was not for the actions of this one named Daniel, my daughter would be dead. I, my wife and my son plead that you spare his life."

The next ones to come forward were the parents of the girl Daniel pulled from the river.

"Our daughter, too, owes her life to this slave," the man said. "He did jump into the waters of the river to save her. Then, with an ability that I do not understand, he brought life back to her. We also plead that you spare his life, for he is a good man who does not deserve to die."

One by one, each of the others came forward, most of whom were merchants Daniel had befriended. Decimus came last, his plea among the most heartfelt.

After all the others had their say, Aulus again spoke.

"You have heard the pleas of these people, and, now, I will speak for all. We put forth a petition that the law concerning the death of a free citizen at the hands of a slave be changed so that, if the killing is done to save the life of another free citizen, no punishment is to be given. We further petition that a new rule be passed that if a law is changed, all those who committed a crime under the old version of a law must be sentenced anew under the revised one."

Daniel was stunned by what was happening. Aulus and all these others were petitioning for major changes in the law just to save him. But would it do any good? Could Egeria really change the law at the request of just sixteen people?

Just then, Egeria's First Prime and three other Jaffa came forward and went to one knee before the queen.

"We ask, too, that you consider this petition," the First Prime said. "Though the law does not give us a legal voice to request such changes, we wish you to know our feelings and those of many other Jaffa in your service. The slave named Daniel is a man of honor and integrity. Jaffa do not expect to be treated with true respect by any human, much less kindness, yet Daniel gives us both. To put him to death would be a great wrong."

If Daniel was stunned before, he was now shocked beyond speech. For Egeria's Jaffa to step forward and do this was unbelievable. Many Goa'uld would consider it an act of defiance and have them all killed.

Daniel's gaze went to Egeria. There was a look in her eyes that he recognized as immense relief.

"In accordance with the law, I have listened to your petition," she said. "Though your group is small, the law does not state how large the petitioning group must be. Therefore, I can choose to accept or reject your request. Your words are true and wise. To put Daniel to death for his actions would be an unjust act. I accept your request. From henceforth, any slave who kills a free citizen in order to save the life of another free citizen will receive no punishment. Furthermore, this change in the law and all other law changes from this day forward will be applied to individuals who have already committed a crime and are awaiting sentencing or have already been sentenced."

Daniel relaxed, almost weak with relief. He looked at the people whose actions had saved him. Aulus and Decimus were both grinning broadly, and there were smiles on a few other faces as well.

"Thank you, My Queen," Aulus said. "We are eternally grateful for your fairness and wisdom."

The group left the throne room. Daniel turned back to Egeria.

"Thank you," he said.

The Goa'uld queen nodded. "It pleases me that the people stepped forward and spoke in your behalf. Their petition gave me the legal means to do what I had wished to do. None can question my decision for it is in the law that I am free to accept any petition by a group of free citizens."

Daniel smiled. "It's a good thing you put that in the law, then."

Egeria smiled as well. "Indeed it is."

When Daniel got to the library, he found himself being hugged by Decimus.

"Thank you for what you did, Decimus," the archeologist said. "If you and the others hadn't stepped forward. . . ."

"Our queen did not wish to put you to death, Daniel," the old man declared. "I saw this in her eyes when I came before her to plead for your life."

"But she had to do what was necessary to maintain peace and stability here."

Decimus nodded. "I am well versed in the law and knew that if a formal petition was presented to her, it would give her a way to legally reverse your death sentence."

"So you went to Aulus, and the two of you got busy gathering people who would be willing to petition for a change in the law to save me."

"Yes. If there had been more time, I know that we could have found still more people to speak in your behalf. Though there are freemen who do not like that you fail to treat them with the deference they believe you should, there are others who recognize that you are a good man." The elderly man grinned. "And I do believe that there are many women who would rise to your defense if only for the reason that you brought to this world the thing called chocolate."

Daniel let out a laugh. Just then, his stomach growled.

"You are hungry," Decimus said, his smile lingering.

"I haven't eaten since midday. I don't know what time it is, but I'm guessing it must be quite late."

"Yes, well past the normal time for the evening meal. Come. I will dine with you, for I have not eaten either."

There were a few slaves also eating a late meal, and some of them expressed their happiness that Daniel's life had been spared. He did notice one man, however, who didn't look all that pleased. The man's name was Spurius. He was one of the higher-ranking slaves who sometimes attended to Egeria's personal needs. The archeologist had once noticed the man frowning at him and wondered why.

When Daniel retired to his room after the meal, he was shocked to see his gun lying atop the table. He really hadn't expected to get it back. He realized that this was Egeria's way of telling him that she still trusted him.

Deciding that perhaps it would be best if, from now on, he left the Beretta in his room, Daniel placed the gun in the chest and closed the lid.

* * *

Egeria gazed upon the corpse of the man named Herminius Gallus, examining the ruin that Daniel's weapon had made of the man's head. She had studied the things Daniel called bullets, and it surprised her that something so small could do so much damage. Such a weapon could kill a Goa'uld, yet she had chosen to return it to its owner. Her fellow Goa'uld would tell her that she was insane, but she had absolute trust in Daniel. He would never harm her.

Egeria wondered about the madness that had inflicted Herminius. His unreasoning obsession with the young woman he nearly killed would very likely have eventually led to her death even if today's events had not occurred. Better that he was dead so that no more innocent citizens would die at his hands.

"Did Herminius have any family?" Egeria asked her First Prime.

"No, My Queen. His parents are dead, and he was an only child. There are only distant cousins."

"Good. Then I do not have to be concerned that a relative will seek retribution against Daniel. Even so, I want you and the other Jaffa to listen closely to talk in the city. Though Herminius did not have any family, he may have had close friends who will be angered that Daniel was not executed. If you learn of anyone who may seek to harm him, inform me immediately."

The Jaffa inclined his head. "What do you wish me to do with the body?"

"He was a murderer. Burn the body and dispose of the ashes. He does not deserve to have his remains interred or any plaque made in remembrance. The memory of him will eventually be lost, as is fitting."

"Yes, My Queen."

Egeria turned on her heel and left the room, determined that this incident would be put to rest and never rise again.

* * *

Early the next morning, Daniel went to see Aulus to thank him. On the way, he noticed the looks he got from others in the city, but chose to ignore them. He didn't know what the general viewpoint was about everything that happened. It wouldn't surprise him if some of the freemen believed that he should have been executed regardless of the petition, but they were bound by the law and could not take action against him. Though they could counter petition and request that the law be changed back to the way it was before, Daniel knew that it would be useless. Egeria would not change it back.

Daniel had found out from a slave that the body of the man he killed had been cremated and his ashes scattered. There would be no plaque made for him, no interment of his remains. The archeologist recognized the significance of this. To the Romans, the worst possible fate was anonymity in death, for they believed that it was the remembrance of the deceased that assured immortality. For Herminius' remains to be disposed of in that way, with no tomb, no plaque or marker of any kind being made meant that nothing would be left behind to act as a remembrance for him. In time, all evidence and knowledge of his existence would completely vanish.

Daniel wasn't sure if he agreed with what Egeria had done. Yes, Herminius had committed murder, but he'd also clearly been insane when he did so. Daniel didn't know what drove Herminius mad, what had caused him to develop his obsession with that woman, but it was likely that he hadn't always been that way. As someone who'd personally experienced what it was like when something went wrong with the chemicals inside the brain, Daniel knew very well that many forms of insanity were caused by medical issues. Herminius might have been a good man before he went crazy.

When the archeologist arrived at the construction site, he received another hug and a big smile from Aulus.

"Ah, Daniel. It is good to see you a free man."

"Well, not exactly free, but, thanks to you and the others, I'm not in a prison cell or dead."

Aulus sobered. "Decimus and I were determined to do all we could to save you." The smile returned. "I never had much time for that old man, but I believe I underestimated him. He has spirit, and he knows the law. It was he who realized that having the law you broke changed was not enough, that a new rule needed to be added so that you would be covered by the changes."

Daniel nodded. "That was smart. Where I come from, some changes in the law can affect people who have already been charged with a crime."

Aulus searched Daniel's face. "I must know. When you killed that man, did you know what the laws were concerning a slave killing a freeman?"

"Yes, I knew."

"Yet, still, you killed him, even knowing that the price would be your own life. You are a courageous man, Daniel. Not many would have done the same in your place." He smiled. "Now, tell me about this weapon that you used. Never have I seen anything like it! It has great power for something so small."

"Um, yeah. I can't tell you where I got it. I'll just say that it is very common there . . . _too_ common, actually. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I've had to use it."

Aulus met his eyes. "Or killed with it."

Daniel looked away. "No."

"How is it that it was not taken from you when you were made a slave?"

"Actually, it was, but Egeria gave it back to me a while ago, after I was attacked by that thief. She wanted to give me the means to protect myself."

Aulus said nothing about the astonishing fact that Egeria had given a slave a deadly weapon that he could use against her. Could it kill her? If the old tales were to be believed, the gods of Rome could be killed, though not at the hands of a mortal human. Regardless, giving the weapon back to Daniel showed that Egeria had a great deal of trust in him. To Aulus' mind, this was more proof that she felt a lot more for him than simple affection.

The master builder had told no one about his suspicions, and he intended to keep it that way. Spreading gossip about his queen was a line he would not cross. In truth, he could not fault her tastes. If there was any man worthy of her love, it was certainly Daniel, slave or not. But what were Daniel's feelings for her? He had said that he was coming to like Egeria. Knowing what Aulus did about Daniel's history with the Goa'uld, he suspected that his former assistant's feelings for Egeria might never be more than that.

Daniel looked at the position of the sun. "I should go. I want to talk with a few other people before I go back to the palace."

Daniel's next order of business was to visit the merchants who were in the group that came to his defense, wanting to thank them as well. Each of them told him that they were pleased that they could help and were delighted with the outcome.

Once he was back in the palace, Daniel threw himself into his work. He had not slept well last night, the vision of what the bullet he fired did to Herminius' head haunting him. He knew that he needed to get past this, accept that what he did was necessary and move on, but it was proving not to be easy.

More than once, Daniel wished that he hadn't had that gun with him. Each time, though, he thought about what probably would have happened if he hadn't been armed. He'd have been powerless to stop Herminius from killing that woman. Given the choice of having to live with what he did or having to live with the pain of being unable to stop a murder, Daniel realized that the former was far better. That realization, however, didn't make him feel any less troubled.

Daniel ate his lunch out in one of the gardens. Actually, picked at his lunch was a more accurate description. He spent more time just staring at nothing. He was startled by a voice to his left.

"You appear troubled."

Daniel looked up at Egeria, who came toward him.

"Um . . . I just have a lot on my mind."

Egeria sat beside him on the bench. "About yesterday's events?"

The archeologist let out a sigh. "Yes."

"What troubles you? Have you had difficulties with someone?"

"No. No one has bothered me. It's just. . . ." Daniel's gaze dropped to the basket that held his lunch. "I've killed before, more than once, when I had no other choice, when I was protecting my own life or someone else's, but I've never. . . . He was the first human I've killed with a weapon in my own hands, the first one I saw die as I took his life. I know I had to do it, but that doesn't make it any easier."

Egeria rested a hand on his forearm. "I understand how you could feel that way, Daniel. A man with a kind and gentle spirit such as yours would not find killing easy. You must console yourself with the thought that a young woman is alive because of you. The one you killed was insane, and, even if yesterday's events had not taken place, he would have eventually been imprisoned or killed."

Daniel nodded slightly, knowing she was right.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" Egeria smiled teasingly. "Would you like some chocolate?"

Daniel gave a half-laugh. "Thank you, but, no. I'm not really in the mood for chocolate."

"Then tell me what I can do."

Daniel lifted his head and stared at her. The question that had come frequently to his mind arose again. This time, he chose to speak it.

"Why do you do this, Egeria? Why are you so . . . so nice to me? I'm a slave. You made me one. I may be new to being one, but I do know some things about slavery. Slaves are not given bags of money to buy whatever they want. They are not invited to share meals and pleasant conversation with their master. A master does not go out of their way to see to the physical or emotional comfort of a slave. I have heard the other servants talking about this, and I have seen with my own eyes how you interact with them, so I know that you don't treat any of them like you treat me, not even your Lo'taur. I am very grateful for all the kindness you've given me, Egeria, but I have to know why."

Egeria did not answer for several seconds. If he had asked this question two months ago, she would have told him that she had her reasons and left it at that, for she would not have wanted him to know that she was seeking to engender feelings for her within him, get him to fall in love with her so that she could quench her desire for him. But things were different now. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted that time. When she looked at him, there was a warm glow in her heart. Each time she saw demonstrations of his quick mind, his knowledge, his kindness and goodness, it made her respect and admiration for him grow. When she had believed that she would have no choice but to order his death, it hurt more than any other emotional pain she had ever suffered.

Egeria could count on the fingers of one hand the number of humans for whom she had come to feel deep emotions. Daniel surpassed them all.

"In these months that I have known you, I have seen the measure of you," the Goa'uld queen began. "You are a man with a heart that is great and good. Though my fellow Goa'uld would be greatly insulted to hear me say this, your intelligence rivals that of many of them, even surpassing some. I forced you into slavery, took away your freedom, yet there is no bitterness in you. I am a Goa'uld, a member of the race that took the one you loved more than any other, yet there is no hatred in you for me. You extend to me the same generosity of spirit that you do to everyone else. I have grown to respect you in this time, Daniel, and to admire the man that you are. And . . . and I have come to care about you a great deal. In my long life, there has been only one human I have looked upon as a true friend." Egeria's eyes looked into him. "You are now the second."

Daniel drew in a sharp breath, his mind reeling. During these months, he had come to see that Egeria really was quite different from every other Goa'uld he'd ever met, but to hear her say those things had left him speechless.

"I . . . I don't know what to say," he finally managed to murmur. "As you probably already suspect, I have met a lot of Goa'uld, and they do not give their friendship to humans. Actually, I don't think they give their friendship to _anyone_. I am . . . I am deeply honored that you would give it to me."

Egeria smiled at him warmly. "You are worthy of it, my Daniel. If you were not, it would not have been given, for you are right that the Goa'uld do not call anyone a friend, not even among our own kind. Oh, there are Goa'uld who have become lovers, have felt some measure of love for each other. But friendship? That cannot exist without trust, and even a Goa'uld who loves another will never fully trust them."

Daniel couldn't help but think about Apophis and Amaunet. Apophis had said that he loved Amaunet, but Daniel didn't doubt that his trust in her had only gone so far.

Egeria smiled again. "Do you recall me saying that I have felt true friendship for only one other human? You remind me greatly of him."

"Who was he?"

"Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome."

Daniel felt the same thrill of excitement that he did when she mentioned Lucius Tarquinius. According to Roman legend, after the death of his first wife, Numa Pompilius had a relationship with Egeria, who not only gave him advice and taught him how to be a wise ruler but was also his lover. He knew that some of it was true, but how much?

"Like you, Numa was a gentle man of peace," Egeria said. "There he waged no wars against Rome's neighbors or foes in all the years that he ruled, and he took a land full of barbarians and criminals and created the beginnings of a civilization. He was wise, and just, and quite intelligent, though not half as intelligent as you. He was also a diplomat, like you."

"Were you and he, um. . . ."

"Lovers? Yes. He would come to meet me in a sacred grove, where we made love. I gave him advice and guidance for all the years that he ruled." Her expression became tinged with sadness. "He was a good man. I was greatly saddened when he died."

Daniel was amazed that so much of the mythology of Numa and Egeria was true. Of course, the next part of the story obviously was _not_ true. According to mythology, after Numa's death, Egeria was so lost in grief that the goddess Diana took pity on her and turned her into a well.

"What did you do after he died?" the archeologist asked, wondering what really happened.

"I slipped into the background and watched. I was curious to see if the kingdom of Rome would survive for long." She frowned. "The man who became king after Numa did not please me at all."

"Tullus Hostilius."

"Yes, a foolish, vainglorious warmonger who undid all the good that Numa had created. I was tempted to strike him dead for laying waste to what my Numa had achieved. In the end, it was not I who killed him. He insulted Jupiter with his insincere acts of devotion and was struck down."

Daniel's eyes widened. "Legend said that he was struck by lightning. Was it a Goa'uld weapon?"

Egeria nodded. "He was left a smoking corpse on the ground. I rejoiced in his death."

"What about Ancus Marcius, the next king? According to legend, he was more like Numa, a man of peace."

Egeria smiled again. "Numa's grandson. Yes, he was much like his grandfather, though he was also a skilled warrior. He was a far better king than Tullus."

"You said before that you left during the reign of the next king."

"I had grown bored and weary of watching Rome. I wished to have my own domain, a city that would be mine. I took with me many Romans, including men and women of strength, intelligence and knowledge, most importantly, men who had knowledge and skill in architecture and construction." She looked up at the palace. "I am pleased at what my domain has become."

As Daniel headed back to the library a few minutes later, he thought about what Egeria had revealed to him and all the other ways that she had shown herself to be very different from other Goa'uld. He knew that all of this was just a taste of what was to come, when she would become the first Tok'ra and give birth to the children who would carry on the legacy started with her.

Wouldn't it be incredible to actually see it happen, to witness the birth of the Tok'ra? He knew that, sometime after making her decision, Egeria went to Earth to try and stop the Goa'uld from taking more humans through the gate. Unfortunately, her efforts failed, and, because of that act, Ra went gunning for her, ultimately finding and killing her. According to the Tok'ra records, she had already spawned a great many of them before then, the remainder being spawned in the years that followed while she was in hiding.

But it was more than just his curiosity as an archeologist and historian that made him wish he could be a witness to Egeria's transformation. It was also a personal desire, for, once Egeria fully rejected the ways of the Goa'uld, she would let Daniel go free.

So what made her see that the host had as much right to control of the body as the symbiote? What made her take the first steps to the truly symbiotic relationship that the Tok'ra had with their hosts? Was it some big event or a gradual awakening, a slow change in her way of thinking? If he knew what it was, maybe. . . .

It was in that moment that a crazy idea struck Daniel. No, it was insane! If he pushed it too far, it might even get him killed. Jack would tell him he'd gone round the bend for even thinking about doing it. But if he actually succeeded . . . if he succeeded, he could go home.

Daniel thought about the pros and cons, the dangers and possible rewards. As he reached the library, he made his decision. Starting tomorrow, he would begin attempting to plant the seed that would grow into the most momentous decision that any Goa'uld in the history of the universe had ever made – the decision to become Tok'ra.

* * *

As you can see, I did not have Daniel executed, then brought back to life. The number of people here and on my message board who thought that might be how the problem would be solved proves it would have been too predictable to go that route. 


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Egeria could tell that something was wrong when she saw Daniel the next day. He seemed distracted and a little nervous. Something appeared to be preying upon his mind, and she wondered what it was. At last, she decided to find out.

"You appear troubled again, my Daniel," she remarked.

He glanced at her. Since getting up this morning, he'd been trying to figure out how he was going to go about doing what he'd decided to do. How could he even broach the subject? Where should he start?

The archeologist drew in a deep breath, knowing that he had to start somewhere. "I, um, have been thinking about something."

"Oh? What?"

"I've been thinking about . . . about your host. You said her name was Arria."

Egeria frowned slightly. "Yes."

"You said that she was a willing host, unlike my wife, who was taken against her will. Some Goa'uld I met claimed that nothing of the host survives, but I know that isn't true. I know that, when the Goa'uld inside my wife was trying to kill me, Sha're must have fought her, tried to keep her from doing it."

Egeria studied Daniel's expression. "You wish to know if any of my host's consciousness survives? It does. I can feel her presence. If I listen, I can hear her thoughts. She is aware, Daniel."

"Do you listen to her thoughts often?"

"Only on rare occasions and not in quite some time. It is distracting."

"I see." Daniel looked away, his gaze going off into the garden.

Egeria frowned again. "You are displeased."

Daniel got up and walked away a few paces. He was trying not to let this conversation get to him, to keep it from getting personal, but it was impossible. It touched on things that were too deep in his heart.

"You have to understand that this is very personal to me, Egeria," he said, "because of what happened to my wife. For all the time that Goa'uld was in control of her, she was a slave, far more a slave than any of the servants on this planet. Her body was used against her will to do terrible things. She had no voice, no control at all of her own life. She was utterly powerless. I know that you're not like the one who took control of her, but, every time I think about the host of a Goa'uld, I wish that. . . ."

"You could free them, like you wanted to free your wife."

Daniel's gaze dropped to the ground. "Yes. I'm sorry if that makes you angry."

Egeria got to her feet. "It does not anger me, Daniel. I can understand why you feel that way." She circled around to face him. "I swear to you that I have never subjugated Arria the way that the Goa'uld within your wife did. Though I have sometimes sensed her displeasure over something I have done, I have never heard her crying out in denial, begging me to stop. I have never used her body to commit the terrible acts that my fellow Goa'uld do."

Daniel finally looked at Egeria. "Have you ever talked to her?"

"Talked to my host?"

"Yes. An actual conversation with her, the way that you and I talk."

Egeria's frown was back. "No. I have never considered doing such a thing. I have spoken to her only once, after I entered her body. I soothed her fear and told her that she would soon be well."

Daniel was happy to know that at least Egeria had done that. "May I ask why you've never talked to her since then?"

"I simply saw no need. Some Goa'uld delight in speaking to their hosts, cruelly taunting them. I would never do such a thing, and I saw no purpose in speaking to her for any other reason."

Daniel looked at her. "If I were you, I would see things a lot differently."

Egeria was now curious. "How so?"

Daniel returned to his seat. "Well, if I was a symbiote inside a host, I would see that person as more than just a physical body I inhabited. I mean, it would be a person I was actually living inside, someone to whom my mind was physically connected. No other relationship could be more intimate than that. I'd want to know my host's thoughts and opinions, his emotions. I'd want him to be my friend and companion, a person I could share my most personal thoughts and feelings with, knowing that he was doing the same. In my opinion, it could be quite a rewarding and emotionally fulfilling relationship. No matter where I was, I would never truly be alone. I would always have a friend."

What Egeria's reply would have been to his statement was something that Daniel didn't find out. At that moment, a servant came up to them and told the Goa'uld queen that there was a problem. Deciding that she needed to attend to it herself, Egeria bid Daniel goodbye and left the garden.

With a sigh, the archeologist went to the library. He hoped that Egeria would start thinking about what he said, but he had no illusions that she'd immediately jump right in and start talking and listening to her host. What Daniel was proposing was pretty much a foreign concept to the Goa'uld, who, for all these millennia, did things one way and one way only: take over control of the host's body and act like it was theirs to do with as they pleased. Having an actual conversation with the host would be a step toward admitting that the body they inhabited was not their exclusive property.

And then there was the ego thing. One of the universal character traits of all the Goa'uld was their ego, their belief that they were superior to all other races. Heck, even many of the Tok'ra Daniel had met displayed an air of superiority. Though Egeria may have said that she believed Daniel was more intelligent than some of her race, she obviously still had an inflated opinion of herself. If she didn't, that temple wouldn't exist.

But Daniel knew that, eventually, Egeria would take that step, and that knowledge gave him hope that she'd really think about what he said and not dismiss it.

* * *

It had been two days since Daniel's conversation with Egeria, and the Goa'uld queen had not been able to get his words out of her head. Any other Goa'uld would have laughed at the mere suggestion, pointing out that the mind and will of the host were utterly unimportant. They'd say that the body of the host belonged to the symbiote, claimed by the right that a superior being had to take what it wanted.

But was that really true? Egeria herself had looked upon the body she inhabited as belonging to her even though she knew that it was another's by birth. Because she had thought that way, she'd seen no reason to talk with the host.

Yet again, Daniel's words returned to Egeria's thoughts. She had never considered that kind of relationship with her host. It had never even entered her mind. That was not the way of the Goa'uld. A host was a vessel used to enable a Goa'uld to live outside their natural watery habitat. In all the millennia that had passed since the Goa'uld first began taking hosts, none had ever had the kind of relationship with their host that Daniel had suggested.

What would it be like to have that kind of relationship? There had been many times when Egeria felt alone, when she had thought it would be nice to have someone with whom she could share her thoughts and feelings in complete privacy and confidence. The Goa'uld did not share such things with each other, for they believed that to do so would show weakness and give the other an advantage over them.

In this time that she had known Daniel, Egeria had shared private things with him, but there were many things that she would not tell even him. But with a host all things would remain secret. A host could not speak of them to another, so they would stay private.

Egeria mentally shook her head. No. It was foolishness for her to even think about this. She should drive it out of her mind and let it trouble her no further.

Entering the sitting room, Egeria went to the window. She could see Daniel in the garden, sitting on one of the benches with several scrolls beside him, busily writing something down. She smiled as she watched him, seeing the look of intense concentration on his face. The basket beside him most likely contained his lunch, but it sat untouched. She'd come to realize that, when Daniel was working, he often forgot to eat, his mind focusing entirely upon his task.

Deciding that she should go tell him to eat, Egeria went outside.

"I see that, yet again, the palace cook's talents are going to waste on you," she remarked teasingly.

Daniel blinked and looked up at her. "What?"

"You are not eating."

The archeologist glanced down at his lunch. "Oh. I was kind of busy."

"I am sure that the translation will still be there for you to do after you eat."

Daniel considered telling Egeria that she sounded just like a human mother, but thought better of it. Putting aside the scroll he'd been translating, he picked up the basket and began to eat.

Egeria settled upon another bench. "So, what is this thing that you are translating today?"

"It appears to be a philosophical treatise on the human psyche, the conscious versus the unconscious."

Egeria frowned slightly, not quite understanding. "Explain."

"Well, on one hand, we have our conscious thoughts and desires, the things we know that we want and believe. But there are also the unconscious needs and desires, the parts of ourselves that can influence our actions and behavior without us actually realizing it or thinking about why. Sometimes, that second thing can have a greater influence on our behavior than the first thing."

Egeria nodded. "Yes, I believe I see what you mean."

Daniel paused for several seconds. For the last two days, he'd been dying to know if Egeria had given any thought to what he'd said. He was hesitant to ask because he didn't want to push. Yet if he didn't find out what Egeria's thoughts were, how could he continue on the course he'd chosen to take?

Deciding to take the chance, Daniel finally said, "I was wondering if, you, um . . . have thought about what I said the last time we talked."

"Yes, I have thought about it, but it is not the way of the Goa'uld to converse with their hosts."

Daniel couldn't prevent himself from feeling disappointment even though he'd known that this was probably not going to be that easy.

"I see," he murmured, staring down at the remains of his lunch. "Egeria, may I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Daniel met her eyes. "What if I was taken over by a Goa'uld? If that happened, I would be subjugated by the symbiote that possessed my body. I'd have no voice, no ability at all to control my own fate. Would you think that was all right? Would you think that's the way it should be?"

Egeria's mind immediately cried a resounding, _'No!'_ Just the thought of the brilliant mind and caring heart of the man before her being imprisoned by the will of a Goa'uld made her ill. It would be so horribly wrong, a travesty.

"No. I would not think it was all right. It would be a terrible thing."

Daniel just stared at her. He didn't have to say anything, for she knew what he was thinking. If it would be wrong for a Goa'uld to repress _his_ mind and will, how was it any less wrong for her to do the same thing to _her_ host?

Feeling a spark of irritation, Egeria stood and walked away several yards. Her Goa'uld instincts and countless generations of genetic memory were fighting against the clear and simple wisdom of what Daniel was conveying, yet, as much as that part of her might want to reject his words, she knew that he had a point. Ever since she brought humans to this world to build her little kingdom, she had made an effort to be a wise and just ruler, just as she had counseled Numa to be, yet there was one human in her domain who had even less rights, less freedom than the slaves here. Should she not at least talk to Arria, listen to the woman's thoughts? Would there really be any harm in that?

Egeria turned back to the man sitting on the bench. "Please understand, Daniel, that what you are asking is not an easy thing."

"I know, Egeria. I do understand that, and I want you to know that just the fact that you're actually considering it, that you're even listening to me, makes me feel a lot of respect for you. I know what the Goa'uld are like. I've seen plenty of demonstrations of their egos, their belief that they are superior to all other living things. There is not another Goa'uld in this galaxy who would have the wisdom and courage to even consider doing this."

It pleased Egeria immensely that Daniel would think those things about her. Of course, some Goa'uld would say that he was merely flattering her to get what he wanted, but she could see the sincerity in his eyes. He truly meant what he was saying.

Egeria came to the bench he sat upon, and he removed the scrolls and laid them on the path so that she could sit beside him.

"I must admit that I feel some measure of trepidation," the Goa'uld queen said.

Daniel smiled. "I can understand that. I probably would, too, in your position. Would you like me to leave?"

"No. Stay."

Her gaze drifting off into the garden, Egeria turned her attention inward, to the presence that was always there with her, yet had been nothing more than something in the background of her consciousness.

'Arria?'

There was a long pause before the voice she had not heard in hundreds of years replied. _'Egeria?'_

_'Yes.'_

_'You . . . you have not talked to me in so long.'_

_'I know.'_

_'It . . . it is nice to hear you speak to me.'_

Egeria became aware of an emotion that was not hers, and she realized that Arria was crying inside.

_'Why do you cry?'_

_'Because I have been alone for so long.'_

_'Alone? But how can you be alone when I am always inside you?'_

_'You are inside me, but I am still alone. No one speaks to me, and I can speak to no one. Sometimes, I feel as if I am like someone who is dead, a spirit that no one can see or hear.'_

That upset Egeria. She had not realized that Arria felt that way.

_'I am sorry. I did not realize you felt like that.'_

_'I have heard the things Daniel said, and I have longed so deeply that you would do what he wished.'_

_'You have heard all of the things he said?'_

_'Yes. Much of the time, I pay attention to only some things that happen because I know that I have no control over any of it, but when you are with him, I listen always. He is special.'_

Egeria smiled inwardly. _'Yes, he is.'_

_'I like him very much, as do you.'_

Egeria concentrated more fully upon the emotions of her host and realized that her own desire and deep affection for Daniel were within Arria's heart as well. That pleased her, and she had the sudden desire to talk about him with her host, to share her thoughts and feelings. She put a rein on that desire.

_'I must go now,'_ she said.

_'Will you talk to me again?'_

Egeria could not help but hear the desperate, lonely plea in the mental voice.

_'Yes, I will talk to you again.'_

_'Thank you.'_

The Goa'uld queen turned back to Daniel, who was staring at her intently.

"I have spoken to Arria," she told him.

A smile lit his face. "And?"

"And . . . it was not unpleasant."

Daniel's smile got bigger. "Great! Do, um . . . you think that you'll do it again sometime?"

"Yes, I believe that I will."

Daniel let out a laugh. "You have no idea how happy that makes me, Egeria."

Seeing how happy Daniel was made the Goa'uld queen glad that she had done what she did.

She got to her feet. "And, now, I must bid you good day. There are matters that require my attention."

As Egeria left the garden, Daniel was fighting not to shout aloud with delight. He felt like dancing. He actually did it. He got Egeria to talk to her host. He knew that this was just the first step, that talking to Arria was a long way from actually letting the host have any control over her body, but it was still a huge step.

Daniel was on the moon for the remainder of the day, smiling at everyone. Decimus asked about the archeologist's good mood, but he only said that something very nice had happened. He realized, however, that now would come one of the hardest parts, at least for him: being patient and waiting for Egeria to be ready to take the next step.

* * *

Daniel was still in a good mood the next day . . . that is until that afternoon, when he had an unpleasant and very puzzling run-in with Spurius. The man was coming from the kitchen, to which Daniel was going for a late lunch. The archeologist greeted him pleasantly, wishing him a good afternoon. Instead of returning the greeting, Spurius glared at him with hostility.

Perhaps he should have just let it slide and kept on walking, but Daniel didn't like the idea that one of Egeria's fellow slaves might bear some kind of grudge against him for some reason. He halted his steps.

"Spurius, I can't help but notice that you seem to have something against me. Did I do something to offend you? We've never really spoken before, so I don't know what I could have done, but if I did do something, I apologize."

The man did not react as Daniel had hoped. If anything, the depth of his hostility increased.

"Do not waste your false overtures of friendship upon me," he said. "You may have fooled everyone else here, but not me. I know the truth about you."

For a moment, Daniel almost panicked, thinking that Spurius had somehow discovered that he was from the future. But something was off. Why would knowing Daniel's secret make the man angry at him? And if he _did_ know, wouldn't he have told Egeria? Spurius had been a palace slave for seventeen years and had a high position there. From what Daniel had heard, the man was utterly faithful to Egeria.

"I'm . . . I'm sorry, Spurius, but I don't understand what you're talking about," Daniel said.

The man took a step closer, pointing a finger at him. "There will come a day when our queen will see the truth about you as well, and then you will suffer greatly." He then strode away, leaving an extremely puzzled Daniel in his wake.

The archeologist continued to the kitchen and got something to take back to the library, though his mind was no longer on food. He thought about Spurius' words as he ate, trying to figure them out. What was the man talking about? Did he suspect that Daniel was hiding something from everyone? If that was the case, Daniel worried that Spurius might do some digging and somehow figure out the truth. But the man had said he already knew the truth.

"Um, Decimus, do you know Spurius very well?" he asked the only other occupant in the room.

The elderly man looked up from the book he was translating. "No, not extremely well. Though he is one of the senior slaves in the palace, he and I have seldom talked. I do know that he is very devoted to Egeria. It is said that he would quite willingly do anything for her. Why do you ask?"

"Uh . . . he, um, appears not to be very fond of me. I had a little encounter with him on the way to the kitchen. It wasn't very pleasant."

"Ah. Well, my young friend, if I had to make a guess, I would say that he is jealous."

Daniel's brow furrowed. "Jealous?"

Decimus smiled. "How long have you been in Egeria's service, Daniel?"

"Around three and a half of this planet's months."

"And you have been a palace slave for a month less than that, yet you now have a high position here and are living in the area of the palace for the slaves of high station. Your position has been elevated to one with greater privilege and prestige than any other slave here, except perhaps for Egeria's Lo'taur. You have gained Egeria's friendship, and she converses with you often, even sharing meals with you. She has given you money and even went so far as to change one of Estrania's laws to save your life. Do you not think that some here might resent this or be jealous?"

Daniel frowned. He had been concerned that some slaves who'd been here a lot longer would resent the fact that he got moved to those new quarters instead of one of them, but Spurius was already living in that section of the palace, so that couldn't be the reason for his hostility.

Were there others like Spurius, slaves who looked upon him like some kind of upstart who'd gained a position of privilege without earning it through years of service? Daniel hated to think that might be the case.

"Are there a lot of slaves here who resent me, Decimus?"

"There are some, far less now than there used to be. You have won over many of them, due mostly to what you have given to our queen."

Daniel's brow knit in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

"Before you came, a smile was something we saw very rarely on Egeria's lips. She held herself apart from us, alone and without friends. Since you came, that has changed. There is happiness in her that we did not see before. She seems to find more joy in life and more interest in all things. Just yesterday, Liviana, the girl who cleans Egeria's bedchambers, was quite excited and pleased when Egeria inquired about the man to whom she is betrothed. They have been betrothed for three months, yet, until now, Egeria had done no more than give permission for Liviana to marry. This was not an isolated incident. There have been others with other servants."

"Decimus, I really doubt that has anything to do with me."

"Yet the fact remains that these things have begun to happen only now, in the months that you have been here in the palace. You have given our queen your friendship, and she has given hers to you. She no longer feels alone."

Daniel's gaze drifted away as he recalled what Egeria had told him. He knew that she probably did feel alone, a lone Goa'uld ruling a world of humans and Jaffa she could not speak to about her thoughts and feelings. That wouldn't be a problem for the average Goa'uld, but for one like Egeria, someone with the compassion that all others of her species lacked, it would be a lonely existence. He suddenly felt very sorry for her, thinking that he really wouldn't want to be in her place.

"Those few among the servants here who still resent you are those who are blinded by their jealousy," Decimus said. "They wish that they had the privileges you have gained and the attention from our queen that she gives to you. Do not concern yourself with them, Daniel. They are men and women of small minds and petty hearts."

Though Daniel still wasn't happy that there were servants here who were resentful of him, he decided that he should not let it bother him too much. After all, it's not like he was a stranger to those kinds of feelings. Steven Rayner had made no secret of his resentment of the way Professor Jordan favored him, something that Steven hadn't thought Daniel deserved, and there had been other incidents in school as well, when a teacher took a particular liking to him, and he was accused of being the teacher's pet.

That evening, Daniel was heading for his quarters when he glanced out a window and spied a flash of white within the darkness. Guessing that it might be Egeria, he changed direction and went outside. He found the Goa'uld gazing up at the stars.

"Good evening," he greeted. "Nice night."

Egeria gave him a smile. "Hello, my Daniel. I would have thought that you would have retired for the night."

"Actually, I was heading off to bed when I spotted you out here. I just thought I'd come say hello."

The Goa'uld queen's smile grew. Though a small thing, the simple act of friendship pleased her greatly. Never before had she known someone who would do something like that for her.

Daniel's eyes lifted to the stars. "When I was little, my mother and I would sometimes lie beneath the stars and talk about all the wonders that lay out there. We would make up imaginary worlds and populate them with all kinds of strange people and creatures." He smiled softly. "It was one of the happiest times of my life."

Egeria studied his profile, seeing a trace of wistfulness there. "You loved your parents a great deal."

Daniel's gaze dropped from the heavens above. "Yes, I did."

Egeria paused, then said, "I envy you for that." When Daniel looked at her questioningly, she continued. "Though a Goa'uld may harbor some emotions of affection and respect for the ones who call them 'son' or 'daughter', there are no true feelings of love, not as humans feel love. With humans, the bond between parent and child is strong. A parent will give their life for their child. A Goa'uld would give their life for no one. The only real love they feel is for themselves. Most Goa'uld believe that the love humans feel is a weakness, yet I know that it is not. The love your race feels gives you strength to do things that would seem impossible." She paused again. "In that way, you are far superior to the Goa'uld."

Surprised by the admission, Daniel didn't say anything.

Egeria turned back to the sky. "I feel privileged that I have found the ability to feel love as well," she murmured. "It has opened my eyes to many things to which others of my race will be forever blind."

Again, Daniel was surprised. Though Egeria had already said that she'd felt affection for some humans and friendship for both him and Numa Pompilius, to say what she just did was quite a confession. Yes, Apophis had told Daniel that he loved Amaunet, but the archeologist had known that any feelings Apophis felt for his queen could not compare to what Daniel and Sha're had shared, to what humans throughout time had felt for their spouses, their families and friends, love that would make them sacrifice their own happiness, their own lives for the sake of the ones they loved.

But what about Egeria? What would she sacrifice for someone she loved? She was, after all, still a Goa'uld, and self-preservation was the most important thing to one of her race.

That thought brought another one back to Daniel's mind, one that he'd pondered many times since learning about the existence of Egeria.

"Egeria, there's something I've wondered about for a while now. I'm hesitant to ask about it because it's, well . . . kind of a personal question."

Egeria walked over to a bench and sat down. "Please ask it. I will not be offended."

Daniel took a seat on the bench. "As I've already said, I've come to know the Goa'uld pretty well. I know the way most of them are and why they are that way. I know about your genetic knowledge, how it is passed on through the queen to all her offspring. I know that the viewpoints of the Goa'uld, their feelings about things and their lust for power, all stem from that genetic knowledge. Knowing that, I have to wonder. . . ."

"Wonder what, my Daniel?"

Daniel met her eyes. "Why you're so different. You're not the evil, heartless things that the other Goa'uld are. You feel kindness, and compassion, and so many other things that the others are incapable of. I'm a living example of that. If it had been any other Goa'uld here instead of you, I'd probably be dead."

Egeria was silent for so long that Daniel began to think he'd insulted her by asking that question. He was just about to apologize when she spoke.

"The truth, Daniel, is that I cannot answer your question, for I have no answer to give. For as long as I can remember, from even before I took my first host, the lust for great power was not something I felt. Yes, I wished to rule, to have human subjects, Jaffa to serve me, but what others of my kind feel, their unquenchable need for ever more power, was something I did not share. When I took my first host, I looked into her memories. I wished to see who it was whose body I inhabited. I learned much from what I saw. I saw the love she felt for her family, the grief she suffered over the death of her sister, the way she overcame the sorrows and hardships in her life. She was a woman of keen intelligence and great strength, and, to my surprise, I came to feel respect for her. I believe it was that which opened my eyes to your race, to the things that are admirable about humanity. Yet I know that I am alone in this. Other Goa'uld have looked into the minds and memories of their hosts and gained nothing from the experience except knowledge, and, sometimes, a measure of cruel amusement. Why I felt more is something I cannot say."

Daniel thought about what he'd just learned and had to wonder if the reason why Egeria was different was something physical, some way in which she was born different, perhaps a rare chemical or genetic anomaly. Among humans, certain chemical imbalances in the brain could alter a person's personality. Could the same be true for a Goa'uld? Could Egeria be the way she was simply because the chemical makeup of her brain was just a little different than it was in others of her species? It was an intriguing question, one that would probably never be answered.

"It grows late," Egeria said. "You should get some sleep."

Daniel rose to his feet. "Thank you for answering my question, Egeria. I appreciate it."

The Goa'uld queen nodded. She then bid him good night. She watched him leave, remaining where she was. After he was gone from sight, she turned her attention inward, suddenly feeling the desire to speak to her host again.

_'Arria.'_

_'Egeria. I am so pleased that you are speaking to me again.'_

_'You heard my conversation with Daniel?'_

_'Yes. The host you spoke of, was she the one you were in when we met?'_

_'Yes. Her name was Ishala.'_

_'I am sorry that she died.'_

Egeria did not answer. Just before she left the body of her dying host, she told Ishala how much she admired and respected the woman and that if there was any way to save her, she would do so. Ishala had replied quite pragmatically that she would have been dead many centuries ago if she had not been Egeria's host. She thanked Egeria for giving her the opportunity to see and experience things she never would have otherwise.

After the transfer was done, and Egeria was in her new host, she looked upon the dead body of her former host and grieved. It was the first time in her life that she felt that emotion. She raised a cairn over Ishala's body with her own hands, feeling that she owed the woman that much.

_'Egeria?'_

_'Yes?'_

_'I am glad that you are not like the other Goa'uld. I have thought about Daniel's wife, how she must have suffered having her body enslaved by such a cruel creature, and it makes me shudder to think about how it could have been the same for me. What must she have felt when the one inside her tried to kill the man she loved, using her body to do it?'_

Egeria thought about it, too. Daniel's wife probably welcomed the death that came to her, the release from that enslavement. In her position, Egeria knew that's how she would feel.

The Goa'uld queen remained outside for another hour, silently talking with her host about other things. She found that, the more she talked with Arria, the more she came to enjoy the conversation. Arria was different from Ishala in many ways. Whereas Egeria's first host was opinionated and the possessor of a bit of a hot temper, Arria was gentle and mild-tempered. Yet there was also strength within her, a quiet strength from deep inside. That Egeria had seen even before the woman became her host.

Egeria was heading for her chambers when a sudden desire took hold of her. She altered her course and went instead to the section of the palace where the slaves of higher station resided. Because of the late hour, all was quiet there. No one witnessed her stopping before a certain door and listening for a moment before carefully opening it. On silent feet, she approached the bed and gazed down at its occupant. In sleep, Daniel looked years younger, hardly more than a youth. The beauty of his peaceful face took Egeria's breath away. He was naked from the waist up, and she ran her eyes over his body, feeling desire stir within her. It would be so very easy for her to lay beside him, to breathe upon his parted lips with the chemical that all Goa'uld queens possessed. Then he would be hers. She imagined him kissing her, his hands gliding over her form, his body mating with hers. It would be so glorious. But it would also be wrong. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted any man, but, more than his body, she wanted his heart. She wanted him to love her.

It was in that moment that Egeria realized the truth about her feelings for Daniel. She was in love with him, with her whole heart and soul, more than she had loved anyone or anything in her life.

Stunned by the realization, Egeria left Daniel's quarters and went to her own. She went onto the balcony and stared out into the night. She heard her host trying to talk to her. It was the first time Arria had attempted to initiate contact. For a moment, Egeria ignored it, wanting to be alone with her thoughts, but she at last decided to hear what the woman had to say.

_'What is it, Arria?'_

_'I can feel your emotions,'_ her host confessed.

Egeria frowned internally. Though a Goa'uld could easily feel the emotions of the person they inhabited if they so desired, they usually blocked their own emotions from their host, believing that the host had no right to be privy to such a private thing. The only time that changed was when the Goa'uld wanted to torment the host by letting them actually feel the pleasure the Goa'uld was experiencing while performing some evil deed.

In all the years that Ishala was her host, Egeria kept her emotions locked away from the woman. It was only in those last moments, when Ishala was dying and Egeria was preparing to leave her body that the Goa'uld queen let the woman see what she was feeling. Yet, now, Arria was saying that she could sense Egeria's emotions.

_'What you feel is very strong,'_ Arria said.

Egeria wondered if that was the answer. Was her love for Daniel so powerful that she could not hide it from her host?

Suddenly deciding that this might not be such a bad thing, Egeria said in her mind, _'I love him.'_

_'Yes.'_

_'I have never felt like this before, not even for Numa.'_

_'I know.'_

_'I do not know what to do. I should not feel this. For a Goa'uld to love a human like this is something that should not be. It has never been so before, not in all the history of my race.'_

_'Then you are merely the first,'_ Arria stated.

_'It is not that simple, Arria. As a human, Daniel will grow old and eventually die. I cannot save him from that without making him a host, something that would destroy all the things that make him who he is.'_ Deep sorrow took hold of Egeria. _'There can be no future for us.'_

Arria did not reply. Egeria left the balcony, wishing that she was the master of her own heart and could banish this hopeless love from within it.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

It had been three days since Daniel's nighttime conversation with Egeria, and he hadn't seen her in all that time. It was the longest period of time in quite a few weeks that they had gone without talking. He was a little concerned that perhaps she had decided that he was becoming too forward, asking questions that were too bold. Had he messed everything up by attempting to satisfy his curiosity about her?

Daniel was frowning down at a difficult translation job when a servant came in and told him and Decimus that Egeria was leaving the planet in the morning and was expecting to be gone for two or three days. The man didn't know anything about where she was going or the reason for the trip.

Daniel was frowning even more after the servant left. Perhaps it was totally inappropriate for him to feel that way, but he couldn't help but be surprised that Egeria hadn't told him personally that she was going away.

Daniel didn't really feel hurt by Egeria's decision not to speak to him about her trip. What he felt was worry. He was even more concerned that something had made her decide to end contact with him. He wasn't sure what to do.

Decimus looked at the younger man, seeing the deep frown on Daniel's face. He guessed that it had something to do with Egeria's unexplained departure. Perhaps something could be done about that.

"Daniel, my boy," he said, "would you be willing to do this decrepit old man a favor?"

Startled, Daniel looked at him. "Um, sure. What favor?"

"Sometimes, I feel the need to add a bit of color to this dull, dusty old room. If you would be so kind as to get some flowers from the gardens and place them in a vase, I would be most grateful."

Daniel blinked in surprise at the request. "Uhhhh . . . okay. Any flowers in particular?"

"Oh, a few from each of the gardens would be perfect. I'll let you decide which ones."

Daniel stared at the man for a moment. In all the time that he'd been here, not one flower had ever adorned the library. "All right," he said at last. He got to his feet. "I'll, um, be back in a while."

Decimus watched him leave, then smiled. If luck was on their side, Egeria would be in one of the gardens, giving Daniel the opportunity to talk with her.

Still surprised by Decimus' request, Daniel made his way to the east garden first. He looked around, trying to decide what flowers the elderly man might like. Really having no clue, he chose a few that seemed to go well together and would probably fit okay in a vase. He then went to the north garden, where he did the same thing, feeling rather self-conscious about carrying around the bouquet of blossoms. He really hoped that one of the Jaffa didn't have the bad timing of showing up. He could only imagine the look that would be on the man's face.

Next came the west garden. It was the first time he'd been in that one and immediately detected a pleasant, sweet-spicy scent in the air. Five seconds after that, he was hit with a big sneeze. Oh, great. He'd been doing okay with the allergies so far. As always, he'd had a large supply of allergy pills with him on the mission and had been using them sparingly to try to make them last for as long as possible. He was virtually out now, but since he hadn't had any issues with the other gardens except for the occasional itchy eyes and runny nose, he had hoped that he'd make it through the remainder of his enforced stay here without any big problems. As he was rocked by another sneeze, this one even harder than the last, that hope died.

A third and a fourth sneeze told Daniel that getting any flowers from this garden wouldn't be such a good idea. He turned to escape . . . and nearly dropped the bouquet. Egeria was standing a few yards away, staring at him. Her eyes went to the flowers in his hands.

"Daniel? What are you doing?"

The archeologist's attempt at a reply was prevented by yet another sneeze. His eyes were beginning to burn and water, and his head was hurting.

Concerned, Egeria stepped toward him. "Daniel, are you ill?"

"No, it's . . . it's aller—" The worst sneeze yet interrupted him, followed by two more in quick succession. He was starting to feel ill. "I-I need to get out of here," he managed to gasp.

With Egeria's help, he made it into the palace. By the time he was seated on a chair, he'd begun to wheeze slightly and could barely keep his eyes open because of the severe burning and watering. Never before in his life had an allergic reaction hit him this hard.

Resting his aching head in his hands, Daniel tried to breathe normally. He heard Egeria say something to someone, but he was too miserable to pay any attention. The violence of the attack had exhausted him, and he felt like lying down.

He was just starting to feel slightly better when, suddenly, all of his symptoms very rapidly faded away. Surprised, he looked up to see Egeria lowering the healing device, traces of concern still in her eyes.

"How are you feeling now?" she asked.

"Good. I feel fine now. Thank you. That was not fun."

The Goa'uld queen frowned. "Have you been ill for long? You should have told someone."

"I wasn't ill, Egeria, not like you think. I have allergies, a, um . . . an adverse reaction to the pollen of certain flowers and plants. I used to have travel allergies, ones that hit me every time I went someplace new, but that eventually went away. Now, it's just the pollen that gets to me."

"Do these allergies always incapacitate you so severely? Your breathing sounded labored."

"No, it's never been that bad before. It's usually only sneezing and itchy, watery eyes. Apparently, I'm extremely allergic to something in that garden. As long as I stay out of it, I should be okay. I did have medication to help me with the allergies, but I'm virtually out of it now." He thought of something and looked about. "Where's the bouquet of flowers?"

"You dropped it in the garden."

"Oh. Decimus wanted some flowers to brighten up the library, so I was picking some for it."

Egeria smiled very slightly. "You should have sent one of the female servants to do that."

Daniel shrugged. "I didn't mind, not really, that is until I started sneezing my brains out in the west garden. You must have something planted there that you don't have elsewhere. I've been okay in the east and north gardens."

"Whatever it is, I will be sure to have it removed immediately."

"That's not necessary. I'll just have to steer clear of that garden in the future." He got to his feet, still feeling just the tiniest bit shaky. "Well, I guess I'd better get back to the library and tell Decimus that he'll have to do without his flowers. I think it might be a good idea for me to avoid exposure to any more pollen today."

Egeria studied his face. "I will walk with you . . . just to make sure you do not have another occurrence."

Daniel nodded. Maybe on the way he could find out where she was going on her trip.

They'd covered around a quarter of the distance to the library when Daniel ventured to say, "I heard that you're leaving for a few days."

Egeria glanced at him. "Yes, on a matter that I need to attend to personally. Do not be concerned. I believe that all will go well."

"That's good." Daniel chose not to probe for more information. It probably had something to do with the Goa'uld that Egeria was not at liberty to discuss.

Egeria's eyes returned to Daniel. For three days now, she had been deliberately keeping her distance from him, hoping that, if she did not see him, these feelings residing in her heart would begin to fade. She had even considered setting him free and letting him leave her world. But now that she was here with him again, and the ache to see him that had been inside her all these days was gone, she knew that being apart from him was going to accomplish nothing except make her long to see him.

What was she to do? Even if Daniel eventually returned her love, they could be together for only a short time, a few decades before death claimed him as it had claimed Numa. She truly believed that it would kill something inside her to watch him die. No. She could not witness that. She could not see this beautiful, vital young man grow old before her eyes as she remained forever young. When the year of his slavery was up, she would let him go. It would be far better never to see him again than to witness his slow decay into death.

But, until that day she said goodbye, she would spend all the time with him that she could. Up until now, she had been welcoming this trip since it would make it easier for her to be away from Daniel, but, now, she was cursing it. She would take him with her, if it was possible, but that was out of the question.

When they arrived at the library, Decimus was a little surprised to see Egeria with Daniel, although the Goa'uld queen thought that she also saw a tiny smile of satisfaction on the old man's face.

After leaving Daniel to explain what happened, she retraced her steps. As she approached the west garden, she called to a servant and ordered him to accompany her. With a frown on her face, she looked about at the flowers and plants. Somewhere among them was the one that had made Daniel so ill.

"I want you to immediately gather as many workers as you need and bring them here," she commanded. "They are to rip up every plant, every shrub and tree, then take them out of the city and burn them."

Horrified, the man stared at her. "Every one, My Queen."

"Yes, every one." She would not take the chance that the plant that affected Daniel would be missed. "Once that is done, you are to scrape off all the top soil and dispose of it in the river so that there is no chance that some seed from one of the plants will germinate. Then you must bring in new top soil."

"Do . . . do you want us to plant new flowers and trees?"

"Not now. We will attend to that when I return." Egeria looked at him. "I want this place barren of all growth by nightfall. Do you understand?"

"Yes, My Queen. It will be done."

Egeria nodded sharply and left, confident that the task would be completed as she had commanded. Never again would her beloved Daniel become ill because of a plant or flower in her domain.

* * *

Daniel was passing by a window when he abruptly halted in his tracks, staring at what he'd spotted out the window. A horse-drawn cart was heading out of the courtyard, piled high with the broken remains of flowers and plants, the spidery roots of a small tree sticking up out of the middle. And then a second wagon with similar contents lumbered by. What the hell was going on?

The archeologist saw a servant a few yards away and called to him.

"Do you know what's happening outside? I just saw two wagons leave filled with flowers, plants and trees that looked like they'd been torn from the ground."

"The west garden is being destroyed."

Daniel's eyebrows climbed up his forehead. "Destroyed?"

"Egeria has commanded it. All things that grow there are to be taken away and burned. Nothing is to be left."

Daniel's mouth fell open, realizing that this was being done because of his allergy attack.

"I, ummm. . . . O-okay, thanks," he stammered.

He continued toward his destination. Though he appreciated Egeria's motives for doing this, it was more than a little overkill. To destroy the whole garden over the trouble caused by what was likely just one type of plant was totally unnecessary.

Daniel decided that it would be best not to talk to Egeria about this. She was obviously doing it out of concern for him, and he didn't want to appear ungrateful.

The archeologist's journey ended at the sitting room. He knocked and heard Egeria's voice bid him to enter.

"Hi," he said as he came in. "Decimus said that you wanted the translation of that scroll from Arasere as soon as I had it done."

"Yes. Thank you."

Daniel handed her the small, PDA-like device that contained the translation. She brought it up on the screen and glanced over it.

"Good. I will read it on the journey tomorrow."

"You're not going through the Stargate?"

"No, I will travel by ship. There is no Stargate where I am going."

"Ah." Daniel was dying to ask where that was, but held his tongue.

Egeria looked up at him and noticed the curiosity burning in his eyes. She couldn't help but smile.

"I am acting as a mediator in a dispute between two Goa'uld," she told him.

Her announcement really surprised him. A mediator? Between Goa'uld? Since when did Goa'uld use mediators in any dispute between them? The usual way they settled disputes was to blast each other to smithereens.

"I, um . . . have to admit that I'm surprised," he said. "When most Goa'uld have a dispute, they tend not to be mature enough to discuss it civilly. Trying to kill each other is more their style."

Egeria chuckled softly. "This is true. However, in this case, it was decided that violence would cause more problems than the System Lords were willing to deal with at this time. The two in question are both minor Goa'uld who are aligned with System Lords. If they went to war, each of them would ask for aid from the one with whom they are allied. If one or both of the System Lords agreed to help, then the situation would become a great deal more serious and complicated. If they refused, then it would be considered a betrayal, and the System Lords would each gain new enemies. It was decided that a negotiation between the two Goa'uld would be the best course of action. Three Goa'uld who are not System Lords and have no connection to any of the parties will act as mediators. I was asked to be one of them."

Still surprised that the Goa'uld were being civilized about the whole thing, Daniel felt a touch of concern.

"Are you sure it's safe?" he asked. "What's going to happen if the negotiations fall apart, and everyone starts blasting each other?"

"Do not worry, Daniel. There is a reason why a world without a Stargate was chosen. The two Goa'uld with the dispute are being brought there on the ships of two of the mediators. They will have no Jaffa or ships of their own there and no way to call for help. If things become . . . difficult, they understand that they will be abandoned there to fight it out alone, and someone will come collect the survivor in a few weeks."

Daniel laughed. "That's smart. Whose idea was that?"

Egeria smiled. "It was mine."

The archeologist nodded. "I should have known."

Pleased by the comment, Egeria smiled more broadly.

"If it wasn't for the fact that all those other Goa'uld are going to be there, I'd be tempted to ask if I could come along," Daniel told her. "It would be quite something to actually see two Goa'uld trying to negotiate with each other without resorting to attempts at murder."

"I would welcome your presence, but it would not be allowed."

"You'll be missed around here."

His words warmed the Goa'uld queen's heart. "Thank you, Daniel."

* * *

Early the next morning, Egeria invited Daniel to see her off. They went to a room where a ring platform stood. With the queen were her First Prime and three other Jaffa from her personal guard.

"Farewell, Daniel," Egeria said. "I will see you again in two or three days."

"I'll hold down the fort while you're gone."

The woman frowned at the unfamiliar expression. "Hold down the. . . ."

"Oh. It means to watch over someplace while someone else is gone. Actually, I know it's not really me who will do the watching over, but, well. . . ." He shrugged.

Egeria nodded with a smile. "I am sure, my Daniel, that, in your hands, my domain would be quite safe from harm."

The compliment made Daniel dropped his eyes to the floor for a moment, smiling slightly. He then watched as Egeria and her Jaffa were ringed away.

Wanting to get back to a translation he'd started yesterday, Daniel just grabbed something quick to eat from the kitchen and headed to the library with it. The rest of the morning and the afternoon passed quietly, spent mostly in translations. Daniel would probably have missed lunch entirely if Decimus hadn't requested that someone bring something for them.

Since getting Decimus' copy of the writing in the Furling ruins, the archeologist had spent about half his evenings studying it in his room instead of socializing with the other slaves over dinner. In that time, he had managed to significantly increase the amount of the language that he could read, that is if all his guesswork was correct.

That evening, deciding that he'd had enough of doing translations for one day, Daniel chose to have dinner with the other slaves instead of spending another night trying to learn the Furling language. The second he entered the large dining room for the slaves, however, he smelled a familiar scent that had him coming to a dead stop, a sweet-spicy aroma that he had smelled only one other place. He looked to the left, and, right there, on a table less than two feet away, was a gigantic vase full of a variety of flowers.

Within seconds, the first sneeze struck. Daniel turned and fled, getting as far away from the room as he could. Even so, the sneezes kept coming, eyes burning like they were on fire.

Somehow, Daniel managed to make it to his quarters, where he fumbled for the last two allergy pills, swallowing them dry. He grabbed a rag and blew his nose vigorously, trying to get out any pollen that might be in his nasal passages. He then sat on the bed, repeated sneezes wracking his body, his head feeling like it was going to crack open with each one. His lungs felt like he was having an asthma attack. He could not believe how fast and hard he'd been hit. Nothing had ever affected him like this. He didn't want to think about what might happen if he was exposed for a much longer period of time or if he actually touched one of the flowers that did this to him. He'd probably go into anaphylactic shock.

It seemed to take forever for him to start feeling better. Once the sneezing had stopped, he lay down, utterly wiped out.

At last, the pills started taking effect, and his symptoms eased further. It was well over an hour, though, before Daniel felt well enough to get up. He poured a glass of water and gulped it down. He then went to the door of his quarters and looked about. He saw a female servant coming down the hall.

"Junia, could you get Decimus for me?" he asked. "It's very important."

"Of course, Daniel." The woman studied his face. "Are you unwell? You look very pale, and your eyes are bloodshot."

"I'm all right."

The servant went off to fetch Decimus, and Daniel returned to the bed. There was a knock on his door around ten minutes later.

"Come in," Daniel called, sitting up.

Decimus came in. "Junia told me that you needed to see me. She said that you looked. . . ." The man's voice trailed off upon getting a good look at Daniel. "Daniel, what happened? You look terrible!"

"Yes, I should imagine that I do. You know that allergy attack I had in the west garden? Well, it just happened again. Someone put a huge bouquet of flowers from the garden in the dining room for the slaves."

"What? But who?"

"I don't know, but, whoever it was, they wanted to make sure that I got a big whiff of that pollen."

Decimus' expression darkened. "Daniel, are you saying that this was a deliberate act against you?"

"I can't be sure, but I suspect it was. I know that the west garden was stripped of everything in it yesterday. I saw the carts full of the things that were growing there. The only way those flowers could have been spared destruction was if someone hurried up and picked them before everything was removed or salvaged them from the wagons. Now, unless someone was stupid enough to think that it would be okay to keep a few temporary mementos from a garden that Egeria commanded be destroyed, that bouquet was put in there specifically for one reason."

"To make you ill."

"Yeah."

Decimus sat on a chair, deeply concerned by the possibility that someone right there in the palace had sought to harm Daniel. Yes, there were slaves who resented him over his quick rise in the ranks of the palace servants, but to do something like this. . . .

Decimus gazed at the young man he had come to care about deeply and made a silent promise. Whoever it was that did this, they would not get away with it.

"Are you going to be all right?" he asked.

Daniel nodded. "I took some medicine that helped. I'll be fine. I'm just going to go to bed early and get plenty of rest."

The old man got to his feet. "I'll see to it that the flowers are destroyed and that the floor is scrubbed to remove any traces of pollen that may have fallen upon it."

"Thank you."

Decimus left Daniel's quarters. Striding with greater speed than one would have thought his bent and ancient frame could achieve, he went to the dining area. He stared with a furious gaze at the offending flowers.

"You!" he barked at a nearby slave. "Remove those flowers and burn them in the furnace, and have the vase washed inside and out to remove all traces of the flowers from it."

Surprised at the harshness in the voice of a man who was generally known for his even temper, the slave jumped up and instantly obeyed.

Decimus looked around at the other occupants in the room, seeking anyone whose expression would betray them as having a part in what was done. All he saw were looks of puzzlement and curiosity.

He told another servant that, as soon as possible, the table upon which the flowers had sat and the entire floor around it were to be thoroughly scrubbed.

"Master Decimus, what is wrong?" asked a young voice.

The man turned to the one who had spoken and saw that it was Titus, a thirteen-year-old boy who often ran errands for him and Daniel and whom Decimus had more or less taken under his wing. The youth loved to read, was very intelligent, and seemed to have some talent for learning languages. He also appeared to have quite a case of hero worship for Daniel. The old man wondered if the boy might be able to help find the guilty party.

"Come, boy," he said, gesturing to the youth. He took the lad out of the room. "What I will now tell you is something you must keep secret. Can you do that?"

The boy's chin rose proudly. "I will tell no one. I swear."

Decimus patted his shoulder. "Good lad." He leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Someone has tried to bring harm to Daniel."

Titus' eyes widened in horror. "How? What did they do? Is he all right?"

"He is all right now, but he was ill earlier. Those flowers that were on that table are ones that make him sick. Someone deliberately placed them there to cause him to become ill."

"But why would someone do that? Daniel is a great man, so smart, courageous and kind."

"Yes, he is all those things, but there are some here who are jealous of him. I believe it is one of them who did this thing."

Anger now flickered in the blue-grey depths of Titus' eyes. "They must be punished. Egeria will have them flogged. Perhaps she will even have them put to death."

"Egeria will be gone for several days, so it is up to us to find the one who did this before they seek to harm Daniel again. I need your help for that."

"How can I help?"

"You are young and can go many places in the palace where you will not be noticed. I want you to watch and listen, look for those who are acting suspiciously, listen for talk about Daniel or those flowers. If you here or see anything, report it to me. Daniel does not know I am doing this, so do not say anything in his presence."

"What are _you_ going to do?"

"I am going to start asking if anyone saw who placed the flowers there or saw the flowers being gathered. But I must be careful, too, for, if the one who did this thinks that we are on his trail, he might do something."

Titus nodded. "I will watch and listen well. We will find the one who did this shameful thing."

Decimus smiled and gave the youth's shoulder another pat. "Yes, we will."

* * *

Titus pretended to polish a bronze statue as he listened intently to the conversation between two servants.

"We stripped that garden bare," one man said, "every leaf, every petal. And then we dug up all the top soil and tossed it into the river, only to cart in more top soil to replace it. And for what?"

"I heard that something growing there made Daniel violently ill," the other man responded.

The first man, a slave with a balding head, nodded. "That is what I heard as well. Would Egeria do such a thing for anyone else here? Would she have done it for one of us?"

The other slave, one whose mop of blond hair would have been enough to cover the heads of both men, shrugged. "Perhaps she would have for some others besides him, certainly for her Lo'taur and most likely for Decimus and a couple of others as well."

"Perhaps." The sour tone of the bald man's voice heightened. "Yet it was not for one of them that she did it; it was for him, the chosen one."

The blond man frowned. "The chosen one?"

"Do not be naive, Laurentius. She is bedding him. There can be no doubt of it."

The younger slave shook his head. "That is not what I heard. I have heard talk that Daniel is a widower and that his heart still cleaves to his dead wife."

"Believe what you will. The fact remains that she favors him above all others. That cannot be denied."

Laurentius now nodded. "You are right there. Yet, from what I have heard and seen, he is a man who is worthy of great respect. People talk of the things he has done in just the short time that he has been here. And I have never seen our queen as happy as she has been since he came to the palace. If they truly are lovers, then I see nothing wrong with it if he brings her joy."

The other slave snorted. "Oh, I am sure that he must be satisfying her. He is certainly comely enough. If I had an interest in men, I would lust after him myself. I know of a few others who do, of both sexes."

"So, what is your problem, Publius?" the blond man asked. "Daniel has done nothing to cause you trouble or harm."

"No, not I, but he _was_ given a room in the quarters for the slaves of high station that should rightfully have gone to my cousin."

Hearing that, Titus stopped polishing, all his attention now on the conversation.

Laurentius barked out a short laugh. "Quintus? And what has he done to have earned a place there?"

Publius' face darkened with anger. "He has served in the palace faithfully for ten years."

"So? So have many others, and there are others who have served longer than that. If Queen Egeria moved all servants who have served here for ten years or more to that area of the palace, it would be overflowing with people. Mere length of service has nothing to do with being given that honor. It goes to the ones who have served with special skill and distinction."

Publius sneered. "And to the ones who have serviced our queen with special skill and distinction."

Laurentius' gaze narrowed. "Watch your tongue, Publius. I do not believe that Egeria would be pleased with that kind of talk. You show her disrespect by saying such things." He took a step back. "I have heard enough. I respect Daniel. He is a good man who does not deserve to have slurs spoken against him. Go talk to someone who agrees with your opinion."

Laurentius walked away, Publius glaring at his back. The bald man then turned in Titus' direction, and the boy quickly renewed his polishing, not turning hs face from the statue as the man walked by him. It was Publius' back that was then subjected to a hot glare.

How dare that man say such things about Daniel? And about the queen as well! His tongue should be cut from his mouth and fed to the palace dogs! He should have his eyes burned out with hot pokers! He should be hung upside down from his testicles and beaten with a cane!

Titus fumed for a couple of minutes, thinking of all manner of torture that Publius deserved. Then he went to the library to report what he'd heard to Decimus. When he got there, however, Daniel was there as well.

"Hello, Titus," Daniel greeted with a friendly smile. "How is your mother today?"

Titus beamed, pleased that Daniel had actually remembered that his mother had been ill. "She is doing well, Master Daniel, much better."

"Titus, I told you not to call me master," the archeologist chastised gently. "I am a slave, just like you. My name is Daniel, just Daniel."

"I am sorry Mas— Daniel. I keep forgetting."

"Okay. Just try to remember next time." Daniel dug some sheets of paper out from the piles on his desk. "I have something for you. I translated a scroll a few days ago that turned out to be a story about a young man just a little older than you who killed a monster to save a king's daughter. I thought you would enjoy reading it." He handed the handwritten pages to the youth, who took them, his face now nearly incandescent.

"Thank you, Daniel! You copied the translation just for me?"

Daniel almost laughed. The kid acted like he'd been given a jewel from the treasure room. "It was no big deal, Titus. It only took me a couple of hours to copy. It's just a thank you for the help you've been around here."

"Thank you so much."

"You're welcome."

Titus turned to the other person in the room. "I was going to the kitchen, Master Decimus, and I wanted to know if you would like a pastry."

Decimus hid his reaction to the boy's words. It was the code they'd worked out between them for when Titus had something to report.

"Ah, yes, that would be nice," he answered. "How about if I join you? I need to stretch my legs a bit." He looked at Daniel. "Would you like something?"

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

The old man and the boy left the library. They waited until they were around the corner before stopping.

"What have you heard?" Decimus asked.

Titus recounted the conversation between the two slaves, which succeeded in putting a frown on Decimus' face.

"I never did like that Publius. A foul-minded man if there ever was one. I do not think, however, that he would have the courage to do anything more than complain."

"What of his cousin, Quintus?"

"I do not know Quintus, so I cannot say." Decimus gave the boy a smile. "You did well."

"Have you learned anything?"

"Yes. I learned that the flowers mysteriously appeared in the dining area sometime during the night. They were there in the morning when the kitchen staff began the breakfast preparations. Whoever did this made an effort not to be seen. Unfortunately, everyone was so busy tearing apart the west garden day before yesterday that no one noticed anybody taking flowers."

Titus frowned. "We cannot give up."

"No one is giving up, lad. We may need to recruit more people to help us, though."

"Some of my friends would help! They think that Daniel is like one of the heroes from the stories about the gods."

Decimus burst into laughter. Oh, to see the look that would be on Daniel's face if he heard that!

"Well, if you think that your friends can keep a secret as well as you, then by all means ask them to help. The more ears we have listening around here, the better."

"I will go talk to them right now!"

The youth went running off down the hall. Decimus chuckled and shook his head. Then his expression became serious. All day today, he'd come up with one thing after another to keep Daniel in the library, where the man would be safe. Decimus didn't know if he had good reason to fear for his friend's safety. The incident with the flowers might have been the only attack that would come, just a single act committed in anger or jealousy.

It could be another two days before Egeria returned. Until then, it would be up to him and others to protect Daniel from being harmed again.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Daniel typed in the last line of the translation, then got up to stretch his legs. He'd spent nearly every moment of today in the library, leaving only once to go empty his bladder, and he was starting to feel a bit restless. Working in the SGC, there had been times when he worked in his office for days with the only breaks he took being an occasional meal and when he went home for the night or, more often, off to his quarters on base. But, during these months in the palace, he'd gotten used to taking breaks outside and doing his work in the garden, so, now, after a while of being cooped up in the library without even a window to look out of, he'd start to feel the need for some fresh air.

Deciding to take a break, Daniel headed for the door.

"I'm going to go take a little walk, Decimus. I'll be back in a while."

"Wait. I want you to see something, a translation I think you might find interesting. It is giving me some trouble, so I could use your help on it."

Daniel walked over to the man's desk and looked at the book. It was written in a derivation of a language with which he had believed Decimus was quite familiar. Perhaps it was just this particular derivation that was causing the man some trouble.

"Okay, I'll see if I can help after I get back."

"Just a bit of help now would go a long way to getting me through it," the man responded cajolingly.

Daniel frowned. Why was Decimus being so impatient? What difference would a half-hour or so make?

The archeologist began to get suspicious. Every time he'd made a move to leave the library today, Decimus had said something or done something that resulted in him not going anywhere, and when Daniel went off to use one of the palace's restroom-like lavatories, the old librarian suddenly said that he needed to use the facilities, too, and accompanied him.

"Decimus, what's going on?" he asked.

"I do not understand," the old man claimed, not meeting his eyes.

"All day long, one way or another, you've kept me from leaving here, and, now, you're doing it again. Why? What reason do you have for not wanting me to leave? And don't tell me that you don't know what I'm talking about."

Decimus let out a sigh. "I was trying to keep you safe," he admitted.

Daniel's brow furrowed. "Safe? From what?" Then he knew. "You're talking about what happened with the flowers yesterday, aren't you."

"I fear that there will be another incident."

The archeologist was deeply touched by the man's concern and his attempt to keep Daniel safe from harm.

"I really don't think I'm in any great danger, Decimus. I think that thing with the flowers was just an isolated incident. Someone found out about my allergic reaction and decided to take advantage of it to act on their jealousy. I don't think that someone is out to get me. They'd know what Egeria would do to them."

"Yet the thought of punishment did not stop them from putting those flowers in the dining room."

"Well, maybe they thought that everyone would believe it was an honest mistake. After all, we don't have rock solid proof that it was a deliberate act against me."

Decimus' eyes met his, deep with worry. "And what if you are wrong? What if there is someone in this palace who is willing to do you grave injury? They may think that now, while Egeria is gone, is the only time they can strike. Please, Daniel. I fear for you. Do not leave the library, not alone."

Daniel sighed. "All right, Decimus. I won't go. But there is no way that I am going to sleep in here. I intend to sleep in my bed tonight."

"I will find a way to keep you safe tonight."

Daniel returned to his desk. "I suppose that you don't really need help with that translation."

Decimus snorted dismissively. "I could do that one in my sleep."

The archeologist wasn't the least bit surprised. "Yeah, that's what I figured." He started to sit back down, but paused. "How about if you go with me?"

"With you? Where?"

"Outside. I was intending to walk a bit in one of the gardens."

"I am not a great lover of flowers."

Daniel stared at him. "Oh, really. And who was it that wanted me to go collect a bouquet of flowers to brighten up this room just day before yesterday?"

Decimus bit his lower lip, consternation written all over his face. Daniel laughed internally, silently saying, _'Busted.'_

"I-I merely thought. . . ." the elderly man stammered.

"That I just might bump into Egeria while I was in the gardens and be able to find out where she was going," Daniel finished.

The librarian's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Yes."

Daniel let out a little laugh and shook his head. "You are really something else, Decimus. As it so happens, I _did_ find out, but not until later. I can't tell you, though, without Egeria's permission."

Decimus smiled sagely. "I was not the one who needed to know."

A small smile curved Daniel's lips as he sat down. He'd really come to be very fond of this old man. He couldn't help but wish that Nick was like him. How he'd have loved to have a relationship with his grandfather like the one he'd developed with Decimus in this short time.

After working for another half-hour, Daniel managed to talk Decimus into going with him outside. After a quick stop at the kitchen to get some bread, they went to the east garden, which was mostly in shade at this time of day. Daniel got a kick out of watching his companion feed the bread to the pond fish with a childlike smile on his wrinkled face.

The archeologist began walking around, drawing in a deep breath of the fresh air. He felt a slight tickle in his nose, courtesy of the pollen, but he ignored it. It was no worse than it had ever been here. Daniel recalled all the sneezing he did in the big garden on the Keeper's world, P7J-989. Thankfully, not all flowering plants had that effect on him.

He thought about the sneezing, sniffling geek he was on that first mission to Abydos. God, that seemed like such a long time ago. So much had changed since then. That thought naturally led to ones of Sha're. How she would have loved these gardens. Flowers were not something that grew on Abydos, at least not on that one small part that Daniel saw. He'd tried to explain to her once what a flower was, but it was impossible for her to imagine. And so he made one for her, from pages torn out of his journal. It had taken days to get it right, to make it look anything like a real flower. After dying it bright red, he presented it to her. The look in her eyes when she saw it made every single minute of the time he slaved over it worthwhile.

He would give anything in the universe for her to be here at his side, seeing the real thing.

"You look sad."

Daniel looked up to see Decimus watching him.

"Oh. I, um . . . was thinking about my wife."

The old man came up to him. "You still love her greatly."

"Yes. I think I always will. She was the most wonderful thing that ever came into my life."

Decimus sat on a bench. "I almost married once."

Daniel settled beside him. "You did?"

"Yes, when I was a mere youth of twenty-two. I fell headlong for a slave girl who worked here in the palace. At the time, I was an apprentice to the man who had the job I now hold, and I was being trained to take his place." Decimus let out a sigh. "I had believed that Lucretia loved me as I loved her. I proposed, and she accepted. I was on my way to ask Egeria for permission for us to marry when I happened to overhear Lucretia talking with one of her friends. I learned that she had agreed to marry me only because she knew that, as the one in the important position of translator and library keeper, I would have a high standing among the slaves and would likely eventually be given my freedom, just as the present man was. As my wife, she would also have a high standing and be given her freedom when I was since it was forbidden for a slave and free citizen to be married."

"I'm sorry, Decimus," Daniel said, feeling bad for the man.

"My heart, of course, was broken, and I did a stupid thing, something I still regret to this day. I confronted her in public and exposed her for the deceitful woman she was. Egeria found out. Displeased by Lucretia's actions, she had her removed as a palace slave and sent to work in a place that dyed and bleached fabric for clothing and bedding. It was hard work, far harder than what Lucretia was accustomed to working here in the palace." Decimus paused for several seconds. "She died not three years later."

Daniel laid a hand on the old man's shoulder. "God, Decimus. I am so sorry."

"I learned a valuable lesson that day." The man looked at Daniel. "Always protect and cherish the ones you love, even if they hurt you."

Looking into those old eyes, Daniel realized that Decimus was telling him that he was among the ones the man loved. Moved beyond words, Daniel gave him a gentle smile, letting him know that he understood.

A short while later, the two men returned to the library. When the time came for the evening meal, Decimus went with Daniel to the dining room. The elderly man watched him like a hawk as they entered the room, searching for any signs that he was going to have another allergy attack. Daniel felt fine, and the two had a pleasant meal.

Afterwards, Daniel's persistent companion accompanied him to his sleeping chamber, light brown eyes darting about the room as if expecting someone to come rushing out of hiding. When no weapon-wielding attacker appeared, Daniel managed to get Decimus to go off to his own quarters.

Having drunk more liquid at dinner than he should have, it was no surprise that Daniel was awakened by his bladder in the middle of the night. Really wishing that he had a private bathroom, he exited the room – and nearly fell flat on his face when he tripped over a man lying in front of the door.

"What the. . . !" Blinking the last traces of sleep out of his eyes, Daniel looked at the man who was scrambling to his feet. "Servius?"

The big man flushed brightly. "You were not supposed to know I was here."

"So, why _are_ you here?"

"To protect you."

"To protect. . . ." Daniel recalled Decimus saying that he'd figure out a way to keep Daniel safe during the night. Obviously, planting a guard outside his room was what the old man came up with. But was the guard supposed to be sleeping on duty?

Servius' head was now bowed in shame. "I fell asleep. I am so sorry. Please forgive me, Daniel."

"Oh, for crying out loud," Daniel muttered, knowing that he probably sounded just like Jack. "There's nothing to forgive, Servius. It wasn't even my idea for you to be here. Just go back to your room and get some sleep, on your bed where you're supposed to be."

"But I cannot do that! Decimus gave me the duty of protecting you through the night."

"I don't need protecting. No one is going to come and try to hurt me. I'll be fine."

Servius shook his head adamantly. "I will not leave. I would be breaking my oath if I did."

Daniel gave a loud sigh. "All right. But you're not staying out here in the hall. You can come inside. I'll make up a bed for you on the floor."

"But if I sleep, I will not be guarding you."

Daniel's gaze traveled across the full six-foot-six-inch, two hundred and seventy plus pounds of the man's well-muscled form. "Servius, nobody is going to be able to push that door open with you planted in front of it, unless it's a Jaffa. Besides, I'll be even safer with you inside since it will mean that you'll be right there if someone comes in through the window."

"Oh, Tertius is stationed outside the window to prevent that from happening."

Daniel blinked, his eyebrows elevating a notch. He went over to the window, and, sure enough, standing outside it was Servius' equally muscled brother. Startled, the man looked at him through the glass. A big, fake smile on his face, Daniel gave Tertius a wave.

The archeologist almost felt like laughing. It was pretty funny, if you thought about it, all these people stubbornly guarding him like he was royalty, all the while trying to keep it a secret from him. He had to wonder how many more people were in on it.

Daniel went off to the lavatory with Servius as his shadow, despite his insistence that it wasn't necessary for the man to go with him. Once his bladder was empty, and he and his bodyguard were back in Daniel's room, the archeologist made up a bed with a spare blanket and throw pillow right in front of the door. He then opened the window and fetched a surprised Tertius from outside, putting together another bed on the floor beneath the window.

Eager to get back to sleep, Daniel returned to his bed. He snuggled into the softness with a sigh and closed his eyes. Five minutes later, those eyes popped back open. He sat up and stared at Servius, listening to the freight-train-like snore that was issuing from the man's open mouth. He then cast his gaze upon Tertius, whose snore sounded more like the train's whistle.

"Oh, God," Daniel moaned pathetically. He flopped onto his back and covered his head with a pillow, unable to blot out the cacophonic duet. "Decimus, you are so going to hear about this in the morning."

* * *

Daniel's 'roommates' slept like babies the rest of the night. Daniel, on the other hand, most definitely did not. After guzzling down three cups of his alien version of coffee the next morning, he dragged himself to the library.

"Good morning, Daniel!" Decimus greeted cheerfully.

"Don't you 'good morning' me," the archeologist grumbled testily. "For your information, Servius and Tertius snore, very, very loudly."

Decimus gaped at him.

"Yes, I found out about them . . . when I almost broke my neck tripping over Servius on my way to the lavatory during the night. There was no way I was going to leave the two of them where they were, so I brought them inside my room to sleep . . . much to my regret."

Decimus was trying very hard not to smile. "I am sorry, Daniel."

The archeologist glared at him. "Do me a favor, Decimus. If you insist on putting guards outside my door and window again tonight, make it the four-legged variety. I am sure that the man who trains and cares for the palace guard dogs will be happy to loan you a couple."

Decimus quickly squashed the grin that started to escape his control. "I will do that."

"I do have one question for you. Did you also have guards at my door and window the previous night?"

"No. I asked some of the servants I trust who have night duties to look in on you often to make sure that you were all right. I told them that I was concerned that you would become ill again."

"So you're saying that, all night long, there were people coming in my room and making sure I was still breathing?" Daniel asked, quite disturbed by that thought.

"Oh, no. They would not have entered your room all the way."

The archeologist wasn't sure that was all that much better.

Daniel managed to make it to a little after midday before conking off at his desk. Decimus watched him sleep with a fond smile on his lips. His friend may have had a rough night, but he was safe. Hopefully, Egeria would return today. If she did not, they only had to get through one more night. Once she was back, she would make sure that no one harmed Daniel.

The elderly man did not know if any of this was actually necessary. Daniel could be right that there would not have been another attempt to hurt him. But Decimus was not willing to take that chance. Daniel was more than a friend in his eyes; he was the grandson that the man wished he'd had the opportunity to have, a grandson in which to feel great pride. His fondest wish was that Daniel would choose to stay on Estrania and take over for him here when the old library keeper's life journey was finally at an end. He would feel confident that his beloved scrolls and books were in the best hands they could possibly be in.

But that was a wish that would not be fulfilled. Decimus knew that, when Daniel's year of servitude was up, he would leave, return to wherever in the galaxy his home planet resided. Decimus did not doubt that Egeria would release him after the year. She would never hurt him by forcing him to stay – even though she was in love with him.

Decimus had not the slightest doubt that he was right about their queen's feelings for the extraordinary young man who came into their lives such a short time ago. In all these many decades of service to her, the old man had never seen her as she was now that Daniel was here. Friendship alone could not account for that.

He felt sorrow for Egeria. What must it be like to love a man you knew would grow old and die as you aged not a day? It was something that Decimus would not want. To live forever as everyone around you died would be the loneliest of existences, at least for one who had a heart, as Egeria did, unlike her Goa'uld brethren.

Just then, Titus came in. When he saw that Daniel was asleep, he walked more softly. Decimus studied the boy. Though his mind could not quite compare to Daniel's amazing intellect, he could make a good library keeper someday. The trouble was that he had come along so late in Decimus' life. Would there be time to teach him all he needed to know?

Decimus knew that he should have begun training someone many years ago, but there never seemed to be anyone that the man thought was good enough to take over for him. And so the years passed, each one ending with him saying to himself that he needed to find someone.

Titus was eight years old when Decimus first met him. The boy's nose was quite firmly buried in a book as all the other kids outside were playing. Intrigued, Decimus sat beside him and asked what he was reading. Though it was not forbidden for slaves to read, only a few had the opportunity to learn. Decimus discovered that Titus was being taught by his mother. Now, five years later and with Decimus' tutelage, the boy had learned to read and write some of the primary language of the Romans and of the Greeks. If Decimus devoted more time to him, he'd probably do far better. Perhaps it was time to do that. Unlike Egeria, Decimus would not live forever. If there was to be anyone to take his place here in the library, he needed to do something about it very soon. But that was something that could wait until after the possible danger to Daniel was past.

Titus came up to the desk, glancing again at Daniel. "Did he not sleep well last night?"

"Well, that is a bit of a story. I will tell you about it later."

The boy's expression became very serious. "I learned something, Master Decimus."

The elderly man leaned forward. "What did you learn?"

The boy told him what he'd found out, which alarmed the man greatly.

"I am worried, Master Decimus," the boy said. "If this is true, Daniel could be in great danger."

"Yes. This is not good."

"Should we tell him?"

"Not yet. Queen Egeria will be returning today or tomorrow. Once she is back, she can do something about it."

"I think we should tell the Jaffa. They will do something. They like Daniel, too."

Decimus frowned, wondering if that might be a wise precaution. He cursed silently. This situation had suddenly become a great deal more complicated than he had believed it to be.

* * *

When Daniel awoke after a nap of two hours, his stomach was growling. He looked around and realized that he was alone. Figuring that Decimus was probably in the lavatory, he decided to go get something to eat. He paused as he reached the door. If he left before the man returned, Decimus would be frantic. He'd better wait.

When ten minutes had passed and Decimus had still not returned, Daniel began to wonder where he was. Considering what went on yesterday and last night, he found it hard to believe that Decimus would deliberately leave him alone for more than a couple of minutes. Daniel had a thought. Maybe he _wasn't_ alone. Perhaps there was someone standing guard outside the door.

The archeologist checked outside and saw that there was no one there. Now feeling a little worried, he went to the closest lavatory and did not find Decimus there. He was heading back to the library when a voice calling his name startled him. He turned to see Titus.

"What are you doing out by yourself?" the boy asked. "It is not safe."

"Oh, so you're a part of this thing, too, huh?" Deciding to leave that discussion for later, Daniel asked, "Do you know where Decimus is?"

"He is not in the library?"

"No. I woke up, and he was gone."

Titus was instantly alarmed. "But . . . but he would not do that!"

"I know. I'm worried, too. Come on. We need to find him."

They'd traveled just a few yards when Daniel heard a sound he knew very well. He spun around to see a man standing at the end of the hall with a zat gun pointing at him.

Grabbing Titus, Daniel dove to the left just as the zat was fired. Slamming into the wall, he saw the energy crackle past, coming close enough that he could feel his skin tingle.

Knowing that they were sitting ducks there, Daniel lifted Titus up into his arms and ran. He slid around the corner just as another blast was fired. This one caught the edge of his foot, and his lower leg instantly went numb. He stumbled and fell, hearing Titus cry out in pain when he hit the floor.

"Titus, run!" Daniel yelled. "Get out of here and get help!"

"But I cannot leave you!" the boy said. "He will kill you!"

"He'll kill both of us if you don't go. You need to get a Jaffa. Go, Titus! Please!"

Titus was crying as he got up and ran away, feeling like he was abandoning Daniel to die.

Daniel could hear the approach of the man who was trying to kill him. Struggling to his feet, he limped to a door and opened it. He slipped inside and silently shut the door, wishing there was a way to lock it.

The archeologist looked around. He was in some kind of storage room, crates and baskets of things everywhere.

_'Where's MacGyver when you need him?'_ he thought to himself. Actually, what he really, really wanted right now was the Beretta that was sitting in the chest in his room. A grenade might be nice, too.

Having neither gun nor grenade, Daniel pressed his back against the door and nearly held his breath as the footsteps approached. He heard a door open and close, then another. Crap. The man was looking in all the rooms. Sooner or later, he'd get to this one.

Daniel looked about for something he could use to wedge the door shut, but he couldn't see anything.

And then he heard the footsteps stop at the room he was in.

* * *

Titus ran, tears streaking down his face. Slaves he passed stared at him, but he paid no attention to them. He had to find a Jaffa. Only one of them could save Daniel.

And then he saw one. Actually, he nearly barreled into the man.

"Please, you have to help!" he cried, clutching at the Jaffa's arm.

"What is the trouble?" the dark-skinned man asked with a frown.

"Daniel is in danger! Someone is trying to kill him, a man with a magical weapon that shoots lightning!"

The Jaffa's frown turned severe. "Someone is attacking him with a Zat'nik'tel?"

"I-I do not know what that is. Please, we have to hurry!"

The Jaffa followed the boy, who ran back the way he came.

_'Please be all right, Daniel,'_ Titus begged silently. _'Please do not be dead.'_

* * *

Daniel started at the sound of the zat being fired. He then heard a thud that sounded like a body hitting the floor. Guessing that some unlucky servant had showed up and gotten shot, Daniel prayed that the man with the zat would not pull the trigger again. He was relieved when there was no sound of a second shot.

Three seconds later, Daniel ran out of time. The doorknob of his hiding place turned, and the man seeking to kill him began pushing against the door. Daniel pushed back with all his strength, trying to brace his legs as well as he could. The man started slamming his body against the door repeatedly, each blow nearly making Daniel's teeth rattle. He wondered how long it would be before the guy thought about firing the zat at the door three times. Maybe the man didn't know about that ability of the Zat'nik'tel.

Even as he had that thought, he heard the zat being readied for firing. Daniel leapt away from the door as the first blast was fired, tendrils of the energy curling around the door like thin, glowing snakes. The second shot followed soon after.

Knowing that there was only one thing he could do, Daniel prepared himself. As the third blast struck and the door suddenly ceased to be, the archeologist lunged forward. He had a second to register a look of complete surprise on the zat-wielders face before he slammed into the man like a football player tackling a member of the enemy team.

The two men went down in a tangle of arms and legs. The zat gun went flying. Managing to recover first, Daniel swung a fist at his attacker's jaw and scored a hit. It was a brief victory, however. He was struck sharply in the temple by the man's fist. Pain exploded through his skull as he was stunned by the blow. Then, all of a sudden, there was a knife coming at him. Fighting through the grey curtain over his vision, Daniel grabbed the man's knife arm with both hands, struggling to keep the blade from his throat. And then something else was at his throat, a hand squeezing into his windpipe.

Choking, fighting for air, Daniel released the arm holding the knife with one hand and tried to pry the fingers from around his neck. Now having only one arm keeping it at bay, the knife dipped lower.

Daniel fought desperately for his life as his lungs fought equally as desperately for air, the cells in his brain screaming in panic that they needed air now! As the grey began darkening to black, Daniel remembered a move that Jack had taught him in the base gym. With no other hope left to him, he lifted his leg and wedged his foot into the man's stomach. With every ounce of his fading strength, Daniel pushed with his leg.

The shove broke the man's grip on his throat, sending the killer toppling to the side. Daniel rolled away weakly, coughing and gasping for air. He looked up just in time to see the man spring at him with the knife.

The blade never reached its intended target.

A fiery blast of energy streaked through the air and hit the man in the side. With a piercing scream of agony, he went down.

"Daniel!" a young voice cried. In the next moment, Titus was at the archeologist's side, clutching at him.

"You are alive! You are alive!" the boy said, close to tears again.

The Jaffa who'd shot Daniel's would-be murderer strode up to them.

"Are you injured?" he asked.

Daniel coughed a couple more times. "No, I'm . . . I'm all right," he managed to say.

He turned and, for the first time, got a good look at the face of the man who'd tried to kill him. He was struck by recognition. It was Secundus Marcellus, one of the freemen who worked in the palace. Shocked, Daniel stared at him. What reason would Secundus have to kill him?

Still alive, the man glared at him defiantly, his respiration coming in ragged gasps, blood trickling from his mouth. Daniel thought about asking him why. Instead, he asked a far more important question.

"Where's Decimus?" The man didn't answer. Terrified that his friend was dead, Daniel grabbed the front of the man's toga. "Where is he? What did you do to him?"

Receiving no reply, he watched as Secundus took a final, rattling breath, then grew still, dead eyes locked upon his.

The archeologist shakily got to his feet with the help of Titus. He spotted the slave that Secundus had shot lying on the floor down the hall a ways. The man was showing signs of awakening and appeared to be all right.

Daniel turned to the Jaffa. "Decimus Marius is missing. We need to find him."

"If he was killed by this man with the Zat'nik'tel, his body may have been disintegrated to hide the crime."

Daniel suddenly felt sick. "We don't know that for sure. We have to start a search for him."

"No searching will be necessary," said a familiar voice. They all turned to see Decimus coming down the hall. He was walking unsteadily, and there was blood on the right side of his head and face . . . but he was alive.

A wave of intense relief struck Daniel, and he hurried forward to the old man, Titus beating him there by half a step.

"Master Decimus! You are sorely hurt!" the boy cried in distress.

"I am all right, lad. It would take more than a tap on the head to kill this stubborn old man, although I did not think that a blow to the head would make my whole body ache."

"He probably zatted you, too," Daniel said.

"Zatted?" Decimus inquired, speaking the unfamiliar word slowly.

"Shot you with the Zat'nik'tel. It's a weapon that I have had the misfortune of being on the wrong end of more than once." Daniel looked at the Jaffa. "He needs medical treatment. Is there someone in the palace who has some training? There was a slave who attended to me when I was injured a while back."

The Jaffa nodded. "There are individuals with some medical skills. I will find one."

"Before you go, we could use some help getting him someplace where he can lie down."

They took Decimus to a room that was used as a sort of lounge by the freemen who worked in the palace. The Jaffa left to go get someone to treat Decimus.

Daniel settled on a chair before the settee that the old man was lying upon, Titus sitting on the floor. The archeologist looked at the wound in his friend's scalp. It was nasty-looking and had probably given Decimus a concussion, but it didn't look deep.

"How are you doing?" he asked gently.

"Oh, I have surely been better," the old man replied. "But I have also been worse. My pride has received a dent, though. I had gone to relieve myself and was struck as I stood at the toilet. I woke up in a storeroom."

"I'm sorry that you got hurt."

"It was not your fault."

"No, but it was me he wanted dead. He almost killed both you and Titus in his efforts to get me. I just wish I knew why. What did I do to him? Was it simply because he didn't like that a slave had been given so much honor by Egeria?"

"No, it was far more than that, Daniel."

The archeologist frowned. "You know the reason?"

Decimus nodded slightly. "Titus discovered the truth. Secundus was a friend of Herminius Gallus."

Stunned, Daniel said nothing. Secundus had tried to murder him out of revenge for the killing of his friend.

"He must have been biding his time," Decimus guessed, "waiting for a good time to strike against you. Egeria leaving on that trip was his opportunity."

"But what about the flowers? Did he hope that I would get so sick that I'd die?"

"Perhaps, or perhaps that was meant to make everyone believe exactly what we did: that some jealous slave was responsible."

"But a slave wouldn't be able to get hold of a zat. I don't even understand how Secundus managed to get one. They must be locked up tight in some kind of armory. I didn't even know there were any here."

"It could be that a . . . zat was not the original way he intended to kill you. I have never before seen one here either."

The Jaffa returned with the servant who had treated the cut in Daniel's neck before Egeria healed it. The man explained that someone had been sent to fetch one of the physicians that worked in the city.

As Daniel watched the servant work, he silently thanked Egeria for bringing to this planet more advanced medical knowledge than what Earth would have had at this time in history, including an understanding about things like germs and bacteria. If this had happened to Decimus in ancient Rome, he would have been in serious danger of getting an infection due to a lack of proper wound-cleaning and care.

After the wound was cleaned, a temporary bandage was put on it. The Jaffa then carried Decimus to his chambers, much to the old man's chagrin.

"I tell you I can get there on my own two feet," he grumbled crossly. "I am not some infant to be carried about!"

"Decimus, you probably have a concussion," Daniel told him. "It won't do you any good to be walking that distance."

Muttering something under his breath, the elderly man crossed his arms and suffered the rest of the way in silence. Once in his chambers, he was put in his bed to await the arrival of the doctor. Daniel and Titus stayed with him. Decimus asked the archeologist to tell him what happened. Daniel recounted Secundus' attack, making it sound a lot less harrowing than it had been. The old man was not fooled, however. His eyes went to the bruises that were forming on Daniel's neck. His friend came very close to dying this day. If Titus had not gotten help, these events would likely have ended far more tragically.

Daniel was thinking the same thing. He turned to the boy. "Thank you for getting help, Titus. You probably saved my life."

The youth stared at the floor. "I feel bad that I left you."

"You were getting help, just like I told you to. If you'd stayed, Secundus might have killed us both. You did the right thing."

The boy met his eyes. "I was so afraid you would be killed before I could bring help."

"Well, I wasn't killed. Except for a sore neck, I'm fine."

When the doctor arrived, he gave Decimus a more thorough examination and stitched up the wound. He then gave the librarian a painkiller, which ended up putting the man to sleep.

"Someone should remain with him to make sure that there are no problems," the doctor said. "Head injuries are a tricky thing."

"I will stay," Titus volunteered.

The doctor told the boy what things to watch out for, leaving another dose of the pain medication in case Decimus needed it. He then turned to Daniel, eyes on the archeologist's neck.

"And what about you?" he asked.

"I'm all right."

"Let me decide that." The doctor palpated the bruise, clucking his tongue each time Daniel winced. "Does your throat hurt?"

"A little," Daniel admitted.

"There is no swelling, which is good." He dropped his hands. "I think you will live."

Daniel looked over at Titus and the sleeping Decimus. He thought about Servius, and Tertius, and all the other people who were involved in the efforts to keep him safe. If not for them, Secundus would very likely have succeeded in killing him.

"Thanks to my friends," he said, "yes, I will."


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

There were three Jaffa waiting for her in the ring room when Egeria arrived home the next day.

The Goa'uld queen greeted the man who stood at the fore. "Ren'kar. I trust that all is well here."

"I fear not, My Queen," the Jaffa answered grimly.

As he told her about the events that took place, Egeria was filled with shock, horror and deep anger. She immediately went to Decimus' chambers. Daniel and Titus were both there, talking with the elderly man, who was sitting up in bed.

Face to face with the queen for the first time in his life, Titus bowed his head deeply. Decimus made a move to get out of the bed.

"Remain where you are, my old friend," Egeria instructed gently. As she came forward, her eyes went to the livid bruises on Daniel's throat. Pushing aside what the sight of those bruises made her feel, she came up to the bed and took one of Decimus' hands in both of hers.

"How are you feeling? Are you healing well?"

"Well enough, My Queen," he replied. He frowned at Daniel and Titus. "They will not let me return to my duties. They insist that I must keep resting. Resting! I have been in this bed long enough. I am not an invalid."

Egeria smiled at the man fondly. "I do not believe that it will harm you to spend one day in rest, especially since, for all these years, you insist on ignoring all the days you are not supposed to be working unless I command you to stay away from the library."

Daniel smiled slightly at the comment. Though he was supposed to take one day off in six, Decimus hadn't taken a day off during the entire time that Daniel had been working with him. But then, Daniel wasn't really in a position to say anything about that since he was also guilty of often working on the days that he was supposed to take off.

Decimus sighed in resignation. "As you wish, My Queen."

Egeria's eyes went to the youngest person in the room. Titus, who had been gazing at her in wonder, immediately dropped his eyes back to the floor.

"And is this the young man whose swift actions saved the day?" the queen asked, smiling at the blush that colored the boy's cheeks.

"Yes, it is," Daniel replied. "I'd be dead if it wasn't for him."

"Then I will have to reward him appropriately. Tell me, Titus. Is there something for which your heart longs?"

Titus shyly looked up at her. "I-I would very much like to have a puppy."

"A puppy? Is that all? Such a small thing to give such a big hero. You will have your puppy, Titus. I will send you to Maurus, and you can have your pick from any litter in the kennel."

Titus' eyes were now shining. "Thank you, Queen Egeria!"

"Go on now and let your parents know so that they can prepare for your new puppy. Assure them that everything it needs in regards to food and medical care will be provided by the kennel for as long as it lives."

After bowing to her deeply, the boy hurried away.

Egeria turned back to Decimus. "You must let me know if there is some other reward I can give to Titus or his family."

"There is one thing, My Queen," he responded. "All these years, I have failed to find an apprentice to train, someone who will take my place in the library after I am dead. Titus is intelligent and has talent. I have decided that I would very much like for him to be that apprentice. If the Fates will it, I will live long enough to prepare him adequately for the job."

"I approve your choice, Decimus. Titus will be release from all other duties here in the palace and will be put in your hands to tutor. Though I do not think that he will ever measure up to you, I am sure that he will do well."

"Thank you."

"Now, get some rest. I wish for you to be strong and well-rested when you return to your duties." Egeria turned to Daniel. "Come join me in the sitting room."

Daniel and the Goa'uld queen said nothing as they walked to the sitting room. After arriving, Egeria shut the door. She came up to Daniel and touched his neck where it was bruised, her eyes now filled with distress.

"I'm all right, Egeria," he quickly assured her.

"Are you in pain? I can use the healing device."

Daniel shook his head. "It doesn't hurt that much. Decimus would benefit from that more than I would."

Egeria turned away and walked over to the window, her back stiff. "My Jaffa have failed me," she said, anger now in her voice. "After Herminius' death, I commanded that they learn if there were any friends of his who might seek to get revenge upon you, yet they failed to learn of such a man right here in my own palace." The anger in her voice deepened. "This failure will not go unpunished."

"Please don't do anything, Egeria. It isn't their fault. I did a little investigating yesterday, and I found out that only a couple of people here were aware that Secundus even knew Herminius. They were childhood friends, but I guess that they no longer saw each other much. Secundus was very good at hiding his desire for revenge. The one time I spoke to him after I killed Herminius he didn't show even the slightest hint that he hated me. According to some I talked to here, he even publicly praised me a couple of times. Everyone is shocked that this happened."

Though Egeria was still angry that her Jaffa had failed to find out about Secundus, she decided to grant Daniel's wish that she not punish them. However, she _would_ be chastising them for not knowing sooner about the incident with the flowers placed in the slaves' dining room. If they had been as attentive to their duties as they should have been, they would have heard about it and recognized that there might be reason for concern. It was the job of all Jaffa stationed in the palace to watch for trouble, and they had failed to do so this time. She had already let Ren'kar know that she was not happy about this and would let it be known that no other such failures would be tolerated.

It frightened her to think about how very close Daniel came to being killed. She had almost lost him. The thought made her want to take him into her arms and hold him tight, to keep him safe at her side every minute of every day. But she could do neither.

Egeria's thoughts were interrupted by Daniel's voice.

"I didn't know that you had Zat'nik'tels here."

She turned to him. "You know of them?"

Daniel nodded. "I've had some . . . experience with them."

"They arrived just ten days ago. I believed that it would be good for the Jaffa who patrol the city to have them."

"So that if they have to shoot somebody, they can do it without killing them," the archeologist guessed.

"Yes. I would have acquired some before now, but the technology was developed only a few years ago, so there are only a limited number of them available."

"Do you have any idea how Secundus could have gotten his hands on one?"

"I have pondered on that. Since the Zat'nik'tels arrived, my Jaffa have been training with them, learning how to use them proficiently. It is possible that Secundus witnessed their use. How he succeeded in obtaining one is something I do not know," her expression hardened, "but I will learn."

Daniel really hoped that it didn't turn out to be the fault of some Jaffa. That Jaffa might not live to regret his mistake.

"I've been thinking about it, and I don't think that Secundus knew about everything that a zat can do," he said.

Egeria looked at him inquiringly. "Zat?"

"Oh. Um, that's what I call them. It's easier than Zat'nik'tel. Anyway, as I was saying, he hit Decimus on the head, threw him in a storeroom and zatted him. Uh . . . zatted means used the Zat'nik'tel on him. Now, dragging Decimus' unconscious body around was a pretty risky thing to do. He might have been seen. If he knew what a zat could do, it would have made more sense to shoot Decimus three times and disintegrate the body."

"Perhaps he did not wish to kill Decimus."

"I suppose that's possible, but leaving Decimus alive would have been a big risk. Decimus might have been able to identify him. Of course, if I'm right, it also means that he didn't understand that to kill someone you have to shoot them twice. What I'm thinking is that his first thought was just to knock Decimus out and put him someplace where he wouldn't be found. But then he changed his mind and decided to kill him. He shot Decimus with the zat, thinking that one shot would do the job." The archeologist thought about the shock on Secundus' face when Daniel tackled him. He bet that surprise was mainly because the man hadn't realized that shooting the door three times would make it disappear right before his eyes. He probably just thought that shooting it would damage it enough that he could break it down.

"I guess it really doesn't matter now," Daniel concluded. "The point is that he was out for my blood and was willing to take down anyone who got in his way."

"Yes." Her eyes met his. "I cannot express how thankful I am that he did not succeed in his goal."

"You and me both." Daniel decided to change the topic of conversation. "So, how did things go with the negotiations? Did they get through it without any violence?"

"Barely. There was a great deal of hostility, but the meeting ended with both of them satisfied with the agreement that was reached, although it would not surprise me if the hostilities resume at another time."

"Maybe leaving them alone on the planet to settle things one-on-one would have been the better choice."

Egeria smiled. "Perhaps so."

* * *

How Secundus managed to get hold of one of the zats was discovered the next day. As Daniel had guessed, when not in use, the zats were kept in the palace armory, which was always under guard. On the day that Secundus tried to kill Daniel, the guard was drawn away from the door for a few minutes by the sound of a child screaming. The screams led him to a five-year-old boy who had gotten his foot caught in the broken section of a grate. It turned out that Secundus had bribed the boy with sweets to pretend that he was caught.

Because of the circumstances of the deception, Egeria decided not to punish the Jaffa since she would not want any of her Jaffa to ignore a child's screams of fear and pain. Besides, the man was already doing a fine job of punishing himself, terribly ashamed of how he had been tricked. He came to Daniel and apologized for his unknowing part in the attempt on the archeologist's life.

When Decimus returned to work, Daniel was pleased to see that Egeria had apparently taken what he said to heart and used the healing device on the old man. Decimus was full of energy and eager to get back to work.

When Titus arrived a while later, he was bouncing around excitedly.

"You must see my new puppy, Daniel!" he exclaimed. "He is gold and white, and his fur is so soft. Master Maurus said that I have a good eye, that Tiberius is the pick of the litter. He is going to grow up big and strong. Master Maurus is going to help me train him when he gets older."

"That's great, Titus. I bet you're going to have lots of fun with him."

Decimus waved the boy over. "Come here, Titus. I have something important to discuss with you." The youth came up to him. "As you must know, someday I will be gone. I have had a very long life, but I cannot live forever. When I am dead, there must be someone to take my place here, to care for the books and scrolls and to translate them for our queen."

"But Daniel will be here," Titus responded.

Over the boy's head, Decimus met the archeologist's eyes. In the light brown depths, Daniel saw that the man knew he would no longer be here when that day came.

Decimus returned his gaze to Titus. "Perhaps he will and perhaps not. Daniel will be a slave for only a short time. Once he is free, he has a home to which he must return, with people who love him."

Titus now looked upset. "But . . . but he will come back, will he not?"

Daniel dropped his gaze to the floor, not having the heart to tell the boy that he could never return.

"The future is unknown to us, Titus," Decimus said, having seen the look on the archeologist's face. "If he does return, he will need help here. If he does not, then someone will need to do the job for both of us." The man paused. "How would you like to be that person?"

Titus' eyes grew wide. "You wish for me to do the translations and take care of the books and scrolls?"

"Yes, I do. I want to make you my apprentice. I will teach you all that I know. Now, I warn you. It will not be easy. You will have to study very hard and for long hours."

"But what about my other duties in the palace?"

"You will have no other duties. Queen Egeria has released you from them. You will spend your days here, being tutored by me."

Titus' face blossomed with joy. "Oh, thank you, Master Decimus! I would very much love to be your apprentice!"

The elderly man chuckled and patted the boy's shoulder. "Good. Then it is settled. Go run and tell your mother and father, then come right back here so that we can begin."

Titus was gone in a flash. The two men could hear his footsteps running all the way down the hall.

"I'm glad that you picked him to be your apprentice," Daniel said. "I think he'll do great."

"Yes, I believe he will. It is a shame that he did not come along earlier in my life. I can only hope that there are enough years left to me to teach him sufficiently."

"Decimus, as stubborn as you are, I'd be surprised if you didn't live to be ninety."

They both fell silent, neither of them willing to talk about whether or not Daniel would be here to take over Titus' education once Decimus was dead.

* * *

Titus' first lesson as Decimus apprentice began half an hour later. Daniel spent a good deal of his time watching the two of them. Titus reminded him of himself at that age, so eager to learn every language he could, filled with a deep love for the written word.

When Daniel's attention was not on the boy and the elderly man, it would wander to something else, something that had occupied his mind often these past nine days. Had Egeria spoken again with her host? She had said that she would do so, but that didn't mean that she had. Would he be pushing it too far if he asked? He had to know how things were progressing before he could decide how to take the next step. And what a doozy that step would be. How on Earth could he possibly convince Egeria to let Arria have control of her own body, even if it was just for a few minutes? That was way bigger than merely talking to the host.

When Daniel was asked to join Egeria for lunch in the sitting room, he decided to take the opportunity to inquire about her talks with Arria. Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance.

"I have been putting some thought into the west garden," Egeria told him after they'd been eating for a few minutes.

Changing mental gears, Daniel said, "Oh? I, um, know that you removed all the plants and flowers. I decided not to say anything about it, though I do appreciate why you did it."

"I was unwilling to take the chance that you would be made ill again by something that grew there." She sighed. "I could not have foreseen that a man I had believed to be a good and faithful subject would use them against you." She pushed that thought aside. "I do not wish to talk about unpleasant things. I have been thinking that I must make sure that anything I plant in the garden will not cause you difficulties. I considered putting things there that already grow in the east and north gardens since you have said that you have no great trouble in those gardens." She smiled. "But I have decided on something else instead. If you are willing, you will help choose what will be planted there. We will create a new garden together, you and I."

Daniel sat in silence for a long while, not knowing how to respond. Egeria wanted him to be directly involved in recreating the garden?

"I-I, um, don't know what to say. It really isn't necessary, you know. If you're worried about my allergies, we could just, uh . . . test every flower and plant you choose and see if they affect me."

"Yes, we could do that, but I would very much like for us to do it together." She smiled teasingly. "That bouquet you were gathering for the library was quite attractive, which tells me that you do have at least some skill in choosing what is pleasing to the eye . . . at least in regards to flowers. I trust that your tastes and mine will not clash greatly."

A little embarrassed by her comment, Daniel ducked his head. He couldn't say that he had any great desire to help design a garden, but if this was something Egeria really wanted, he didn't want to disappoint her.

"I, uh, can't help but think that you might end up regretting this, but, okay. If you'd really like me to help, then I'd be honored."

Egeria smiled brightly. "Good. We shall get started tomorrow morning."

"So, where are we going to get the flowers? Do you have people who grow them professionally?"

"There are some who grow flowers along with their vegetables and sell them to the free citizens. I obtained some of the flowers in my gardens from them. But the rest came from other worlds. In my travels, if I saw a flower or plant that pleased me, I would have it brought back here. Many could not survive in our soil or climate, but others adapted and flourished. There is a particular planet from which I have taken many flowers. It is a beautiful, untouched world. There is no Naquadah there, so the Goa'uld have no interest in it." Egeria's eyes met his. "I will take you there through the Stargate with me."

Daniel was shocked. Egeria was actually going to take him through the Stargate with her? She had to know that she was taking the chance that he'd escape. Of course, they might have a phalanx of Jaffa with them to guard against that very thing, but, even so, it was still another display of trust in him.

"I'd like that," he said, saying nothing about the significance of her offer.

"Good. We will leave here at first light. It will be early summer there now, so there will be many flowers from which we can choose."

When Daniel told Decimus that he'd probably be gone all day tomorrow, the librarian, quite naturally, wanted to know why.

"Um, Egeria wants to start getting new flowers and plants for the west garden, and she, uhhh, sort of . . . wants my help," Daniel answered reluctantly. "She wants me to help her pick out the flowers. It's mainly so that she won't get any that I'm allergic to."

Decimus felt a muscle in the corner of his mouth twitch. He found the idea of Daniel being turned into a reluctant gardener to be rather funny.

Titus apparently thought it was funny, too, and was grinning hugely. "I like red," he pipped up. "Will you get some red flowers, Daniel?"

The archeologist gave him a look. "I'll keep it in mind."

"So, where are these flower going to be obtained?" Decimus asked.

"Off-world. Egeria and I are going through the gate at dawn."

The elderly man sobered. "Egeria is taking you through the Stargate with her?"

"Yes."

Titus looked back and forth between the two men, seeing something pass between them. "What is it? I heard that Daniel has traveled through the Stargate to many worlds. Is there something about this one that is different?"

Daniel and Decimus turned away from each other.

"I doubt that there is anything of great significance to that world," the old man replied. He waved at the book in Decimus' hands. "Back to your studies, boy."

After Titus had gone home that evening, Decimus looked at the man sitting at the other desk. "Again, Queen Egeria shows her trust in you. There are many slaves who would use a trip like that as an opportunity to escape."

"Yes, I know."

"And what of _you_, Daniel?"

The archeologist looked up to see Decimus focusing a very intense gaze upon him. "If you're asking if I considered trying to escape, then the answer is no." Of course, he could not tell his friend why it wouldn't even be an option for him. It wouldn't do him any good to escape while on another world when what he needed to get home was here on Estrania.

Decimus said nothing more, accepting Daniel's answer.

The air was chilly and damp the next morning when Daniel met Egeria outside. He saw that there were eight Jaffa with her.

Seeing him look at them, the queen said, "If it were practical to do so, I would go with only two or three, but, though there are no natural dangers that concern me, I cannot be certain of other threats."

Daniel nodded. "Such as unexpected company dropping in."

"Yes."

Just then, Egeria's Lo'taur and four men bearing the queen's litter arrived.

"Camilla will be accompanying us," Egeria explained. "It will be her job to extract from the ground each plant that we choose and place it in a container. She has great skill in doing this without causing undue damaged to the plant's roots."

That's when Daniel noticed the crates full of small clay pots sitting off to the side. There were dozens of pots, which clued him into the fact that they were going to be getting quite a few plants. How were they all going to be carried back?

At that moment, a cart pulled up, and the crates were loaded onto it, answering Daniel's question.

They all headed out, Daniel and Camilla walking beside Egeria's litter. As they traveled the distance to the gate, activity in the city gradually increased, slaves getting busy with their early morning tasks, merchants filling their stalls with merchandise. They stopped at one stall and purchased some sweet pastries that were a particular favorite of Egeria's. At another, they got some fruit that put a happy, eager smile on Camilla's lips. With an amused expression, Egeria handed her one, and she wasted no time in biting into it, a look of bliss on her face.

"Is there anything in particular that you would like to get, Daniel?" the Goa'uld queen asked. "We have plenty of food with us, but if there is some special treat that you would like to bring, let me know."

"No, I'm fine, Egeria. Thank you for asking, though."

Upon arriving at the Stargate, Daniel went to the DHD and watched as one of the Jaffa dialed it. He did not recognize the address.

The man who had been driving the cart got off, and a Jaffa took his place. Egeria's litter-bearers left, taking the now empty litter with them. With the other seven Jaffa in the lead and the wagon in the rear, the party went through the wormhole.

When they came out the other side, Daniel was greeted with the sight of a lush, green world, snow-capped mountains rising in the distance, a magnificent waterfall cascading down the side of a nearby cliff. But those things are not what caught and firmly held his attention. No, it was the ruins rising from the valley floor no more than half a mile away that had him aching to forget everything else and go exploring.

It didn't take long for Egeria to see the light in Daniel's eyes, the way every line in his body was saying what he wanted. She almost laughed, knowing now that this trip would be taken up with more than just gathering flowers.

"The ruins interest you?" she asked, pretending that she didn't see how very much they did.

Daniel drew his gaze away from the structures. "Yes. I, um, have a special interest in things like that. One of the things I love to do most is study ancient cultures by examining the remains of where they lived and the things they left behind. It used to be my job before I got involved in . . . other things."

"Well, then we will have to go there before we leave. I have examined them already, but I would not mind doing so again. So, shall we get started on our task?"

Pulling his thoughts away from the ruins, Daniel nodded. For the first time, he noticed that there were an abundance of wild flowers about, of many different shapes, sizes and colors. He could understand why Egeria saw this as a good place to get things for her gardens.

The next four hours were spent looking at the different flowers and plants. Though the physical appearance of the flowers did play some role in which ones Daniel chose, his nose was what he paid more attention to, or, rather, how his nasal mucosa reacted to each variety of blossom. Several times, he was hit with a bout of sneezing or other allergy symptoms. Each time, Egeria used the healing device on him even though Daniel told her it probably wasn't necessary. He was wishing that he still had some of his allergy medication, though. But then, that would sort of defeat the purpose since the goal was to find plants and flowers that were not going to cause his allergies to flare up.

Every time they found a flower or plant that passed the allergy test and that both Daniel and Egeria liked, Camilla got busy on digging it up and placing it in a pot, gathering several specimens of each plant.

When they took a break for lunch, Daniel found his gaze being drawn like a magnet back to the ruins. Egeria noticed immediately.

"I am thinking that now would be a good time to go to those ruins," she said, "before the day grows much hotter. Do you agree, Daniel?"

The archeologist turned to her and saw the sparkle of amusement in her eyes. Realizing that she was aware of how much he was aching to go there, he replied deadpan, "Yes, that would probably be a good idea."

Four of the Jaffa remained to guard the Stargate. Camilla stayed behind as well so that she could gather a few more of each variety of flower they'd chosen.

It didn't take long for Daniel, Egeria and the other four Jaffa to reach the ruins. When Daniel spied some writing on one of the walls and went up to it to investigate, he had to stifle a gasp. It was Ancient. With new eyes, he looked about at the ruins. This place was constructed by the gate-builders. What had it been? What was its purpose? If he was on a mission, he would insist that they needed to examine the ruins thoroughly, discover any secrets that lie there. He wished that he had his camera so that he could video tape the writing for later translation. He was still learning the language, piecing it together from the samples he'd seen and knowledge he'd gained these last three years.

"You know the language," Egeria said, having spotted Daniel's reaction to it.

"Um . . . yes, a bit. I've encountered it before."

"Can you translate it?"

Daniel looked at the writing, studying it closely. He wished that he had his notes with him.

"I can't be sure, but it seems to be talking about some event in the history of this planet," he replied after a few minutes. "Maybe this was a museum or historical center."

They moved on to the remains of other structures. Every time Daniel saw writing, he wished that he could translate it, but it would take weeks to do it all, perhaps months, especially without his notes to help him. When he got back home, he'd have to tell General Hammond about the ruins so that they could send a team here, preferably SG-1.

They'd covered perhaps half of the ruins, Daniel enjoying every moment of it, when they came upon a sight that made them just stop and stare. The vine growing up the side of the wall reminded Daniel of wisteria, but no wisteria that ever existed had flowers so intensely, vibrantly blue. It was the deep, stunning blue of the finest of lapis lazuli.

"Wow," Daniel said.

"This was not here before," Egeria declared, also awed by the display.

"Maybe some bird dropped a seed here," Daniel suggested.

"They are the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. And the scent is very pleasant." She looked at Daniel. "Is there any sign that you are allergic to them?"

"If I was, I'd have known it by now."

"Then we must take a cutting. This flower _must_ be in your garden."

Daniel did not miss what Egeria had just called the garden, giving ownership of it to him.

Instead of taking a cutting, they found some young plants and dug them up. Daniel was surprised when Egeria tore off pieces of her gown and used them to wrap around the roots and soil.

"We must get them into pots," she said.

Though Daniel really wanted to explore the rest of the ruins, he nodded his head. This trip was supposed to be for the purpose of gathering plants and flowers, and, though he would far rather be playing archeologist than gardener, he was not the one in charge. And, unlike what he had done many times with a certain U.S.A.F. colonel, Daniel didn't dare argue with Egeria.

They returned to where Camilla was. When the Lo'taur saw that they had flowers, she came hurrying forward. Her eyes widened upon getting a better look.

"Oh, they are glorious!" she cried. She put her face right into one of the clusters of tiny, delicate flowers and drew in a deep breath. "And that scent is wonderful."

Camilla carefully placed the vines in pots and set them in the wagon, bracing them against the side for support.

They spent another hour on the planet. By the time they left, the wagon was overflowing with plants and flowers.

"We will get the rest of the flowers for the garden from the growers on Estrania," Egeria said.

Daniel stared at her. "The rest? Don't you think that what we have is enough?"

The queen smiled. "What we have here would not fill even half of the garden. It will take many flowers to make your garden what I wish it to be."

Daniel glanced at her upon hearing the words "your garden" again. He thought about saying something, but decided against it.

Out of necessity, the trip back to the Stargate was made slowly, care needing to be taken with the wagon's cargo.

Egeria's litter-bearers were waiting on the other side of the wormhole. The queen took a seat in the chair, and they began the journey back to the palace. As soon as they arrived, slaves got busy emptying the cart and putting the pots in the presently barren garden where their contents would eventually be planted. Camilla took charge of the work, making sure that every flower and plant was handled with care. She looked like she was about ready to have a heart attack when one slave took less than the appropriate amount of care with one of the blue-flowered vines, coming close to breaking it. Her voice, usually soft and mild, rose into one of harsh rebuke. The slave, duly chastised, took greater care from then on.

Daniel heard Egeria laugh softly.

"I do believe that Camilla would spend her whole life growing and caring for flowers, if she could," she said.

"I've seen her tending the flowers from time to time."

"Yes, when her duties allow her the time to do so. I fear that I made her weep many tears when I had the old garden here destroyed. She seemed inconsolable. I had to promise that the new garden would be even more beautiful before her tears would stop."

Daniel smiled slightly. "She must have been pretty mad at me since I'm the reason it was destroyed."

Egeria glanced at him. "Perhaps she would have been, but she quite likes you."

"Really? I've barely spoken with her."

The Goa'uld queen looked at him again, this time more intently. "She has told me she likes you because you put a smile on my face."

Daniel was startled by the revelation. "Oh," he said, not knowing what else to say.

Egeria rested a hand on his arm. "Come. Let us go inside and begin planning the design for the new garden."

"Um, Egeria, as much as I'm flattered that you want my opinions for this garden, I really don't know anything about landscaping. I would be of no use to you."

"You know architecture, do you not?"

"Well, yes, but what does that have to do with laying out a garden?"

"I wish for you to design a grand entrance for it, one with beautiful reliefs and other decorations. I will take care of designing the garden itself."

"Oh. Um . . . okay, I guess I can do that."

"Excellent."

They went to the sitting room and began discussing things as they snacked on cheese and bread. Egeria's idea for the garden was that the entrance Daniel would design would open onto a circular area paved with the rose-veined marble-like stone that decorated several rooms in the palace. A small fountain would be at the center with benches around it. Leading off of it would be paths that wound and curved through the displays of flowers, plants and trees.

"A wall will be built on either side of the entrance, curving in to meet the walls of the palace," Egeria said, "creating a small, intimate, separate garden. Upon the walls will grow the vines with blue flowers. We will have to keep them pruned, though, so that they do not cover your creation."

"It sounds like it's really going to be spectacular."

"That is what I wish it to be."

* * *

Some of you may wonder about the change of pace in the latter half of this chapter. Well, let's just say that it's a little breather. The chapters coming up after this one are going to get rather intense. So, rest up, people! LOL


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Daniel stared down at the drawing laid out on the table before him. He'd been working on the entrance for the garden for three days now, and he still wasn't happy with it. The problem was that he couldn't make up his mind whether to go with a traditional Greek or Roman design or something with a bit of an Egyptian look.

The archeologist knew that work had already begun on the garden, Egeria being eager to get it completed as soon as possible. At the rate he was going with this doggone thing, the garden would be all done before he even had a completed plan for how its entrance would look.

With a sigh, Daniel crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the basket he was using for trash. It bounced off the pile of other rejects and rolled across the floor, coming to a stop at the feet of the man who had just entered the room.

"I sense an air of great discontent."

Daniel looked up to see Aulus grinning at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Egeria summoned me. She tells me that you are attempting the creation of a small bit of architecture."

"Attempting. Good word. It's only an entrance for the new garden, but I can't seem to even get it down on paper."

The master builder bent down and picked up the crumpled piece of paper. He smoothed it out and studied the drawing.

"So, what seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"I can't make up my mind on what I want it to look like. This is the first time that I've ever designed anything of an architectural nature on my own. I know that I'm over-thinking it, but. . . ."

"You wish for it to be something spectacular."

"Well, maybe not spectacular, but at least interesting and attractive."

Aulus waved his hand at the overflowing trash bin. "And none of those were interesting and attractive?"

Daniel sighed. "I suppose they probably were. I just wasn't satisfied with them."

Aulus smiled slightly. "Perhaps what you need to do is stop trying so hard. You need to just let it happen. When I am designing some new building, I close my eyes and let my imagination take me where it wishes to go. It always faithfully leads me to what I know will be the perfect design for that building. Perhaps you should do the same."

"Just close my eyes and let my imagination conjure up something," Daniel said doubtfully.

"Yes."

The archeologist shrugged. "I suppose it's worth a try since what I'm doing now isn't working."

"Good. Now that that is settled, I wish to scold you severely."

Daniel's brow puckered. "Uhhh . . . why? What did I do?"

"You did not come and talk to me about you nearly being murdered, that is what. I had to learn about it from someone else."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Aulus. I know I should have told you about it personally. I wouldn't have been able to get away the day after it happened. The following day, I was busy working, and then Egeria approached me about the garden. The day after that, we were off-world getting flowers for it. Then I got so involved in the plans for the entryway, and . . . time just got away from me."

Aulus frowned at him a while longer. "Well, all right, then. I suppose I can forgive you just this once." He shook a finger at Daniel. "But do not let it happen again."

"I won't. The next time someone tries to kill me, I'll be sure to tell you all about it."

The master builder took a seat. "So, tell me what actually happened. I cannot trust the veracity of what I was told."

Daniel filled the man in, including what he'd learned about the friendship between Secundus and Herminius.

Aulus shook his head. "I have to wonder how Secundus believed that he could do this without Egeria learning that it was he who did it. She would not have rested until your murderer was found."

"I don't know. Maybe he planned on planting evidence that would point to someone else. I think that, in the end, he was so focused on killing me that he wasn't thinking all that clearly. He must have heard me tell Titus to go get help. If I had been in his position, I'd have gotten out of there and attempted an escape through the Stargate. Instead, he stayed and kept trying to kill me even though he must have known that Titus could return with a Jaffa at any second."

"The bloodlust of revenge can often blind the mind to all else," Aulus responded wisely. His eyes met Daniel's. "If you had died, my desire for revenge would have ruled my thoughts as well."

Daniel's gaze dropped to the floor.

"But enough about that," the older man said. He rose to his feet. "You have a garden entrance to design, and I have a gallery to which I must return my attention. And speaking of that gallery, it has been far too long since you visited me there. Do not let too many more days go by before you do."

Daniel gave him a smile. "I won't, Aulus. I promise."

Saying goodbye to the master builder, Daniel then looked down at the wrinkled plans that the man had laid on the table. He stared at them for a moment, then left the room. He went to the east garden and sat on the grass before the pond, frowning down at the fish, which swam over and looked at him, no doubt hoping to be fed.

After a couple of minutes, Daniel closed his eyes and followed Aulus' advice, letting his imagination loose upon the design of the garden entrance. Not twenty minutes later, he knew how he wanted it to look.

"What do you know," he murmured. "It worked."

He went back inside and sketched out what he'd pictured in his mind, filling in details that his imagination had left blank. Once he was done, he went in search of Egeria. He found her overseeing work on the west garden. Daniel looked around, surprised by how far the workers had progressed.

"They've made a lot of progress," he said.

"Yes, it is going well." Egeria looked at him. "And what about you?"

"I've finally come up with something, thanks to some advice from Aulus."

The Goa'uld queen smiled. "I thought that perhaps he might be of assistance."

Daniel showed her the drawing. She nodded in approval.

"Yes, this is perfect. You must get these plans to Aulus so that he can put men to work on it immediately."

* * *

Because Egeria's attention was so centered on the garden, Daniel decided to hold off for a few days on talking to her about her host. Therefore, he focused most of his attention on work, hoping that he'd have at least a few uninterrupted days before the next crisis or big event took place. Daniel found that thought rather ironic. Back in his time, even though he was directly involved in a war against the Goa'uld, there had been plenty of occasions when several weeks would go by without any major issues or crises arising. Yet he comes here, where he is not actively battling the Goa'uld, and it seems like, lately, he can't go more than a couple of weeks without something happening. He really needed to get back home to the SGC so that he could get some peace and quiet.

Titus had dived headlong into his studies and was eagerly taking in everything Decimus taught him. Daniel could tell that he definitely had a talent for languages, at least for learning how to read and write them. Learning how to speak another language with the proper pronunciation was another thing entirely, something that some people he knew in his line of work never did master. Fortunately, Titus wasn't required to learn how to speak any of the languages he was learning.

"How many languages can you read and write, Daniel?" Titus asked one day.

"Ohhh, a few," the archeologist replied. He heard Decimus make a little noise that sounded like a snort of laughter.

"Go on and tell him, Daniel," the old man said, his eyes sparkling. "It will give him a worthy goal to set his eyes upon."

Daniel did as asked, which made the boy gape at him.

"How did you ever learn so many? I could _never_ learn that much."

"Don't say that, Titus. From what I can see, you have quite a gift with languages. I learned that many through years of study. Even now, I'm still learning new languages. I doubt that I'll ever stop, at least not until I'm dead."

Deciding to take a break that afternoon, Daniel went to the west garden to see how things were progressing. He saw that, except for his entryway and the walls that would come out from either side of it, the garden appeared to be just about finished.

He wandered around, taking in the sights, noting all the flowers there that were not among the ones they had chosen off-world. Rather than taking Daniel along to help choose flowers from the growers on Estrania, Egeria had decided simply to select flowers and plants that were already in the other two gardens, knowing that they were all 'safe'.

Seeing Egeria at the far end of the garden, Daniel headed over to her.

"Ah, my Daniel," she greeted. "So, how do you like our new garden?"

Daniel noticed that, this time, she'd said _our_ garden instead of _your_ garden, which was much better.

"It's beautiful. You did a wonderful job of designing it."

The Goa'uld queen smiled. "Thank you. Have you eaten the midday meal yet?"

"No, I was going to get something after taking a walk."

"Come then. You can join me."

As always, they went to the sitting room. As they waited for their food to be brought, they chatted mostly about the garden and Daniel's entryway, which would take the longest to complete because of the reliefs that needed to be carved into it.

After the food arrived, they continued to talk, wandering off to different subjects. It was after a brief lull in the conversation that Daniel decided to bring up the subject of Egeria's host.

"I was wondering if you'd had the opportunity to talk with Arria again."

"Yes, I have, more than once, in fact. I am finding it quite enjoyable."

Daniel smiled. "That's great. I'm glad to hear it. I should imagine that you're learning a lot about her."

"Yes. Though I have access to all of her memories, speaking with her has given me an even deeper understanding of her." Egeria paused for several seconds. "Several times, she has been the one to initiate contact."

Surprised, Daniel looked at her closely. "How do you feel about that?"

"I was irritated the first time due to the circumstances, but it bothers me only slightly now."

Daniel was delighted to hear that Egeria was accepting her host taking the lead and reaching out to attempt communication. It was another step toward allowing Arria to have a say in her own fate, which, in turn, was a step closer to actually letting her occasionally have control of her body.

Daniel still didn't know how he was going to approach Egeria about that last thing. Obviously, he couldn't just say something like, "Hey, now that you're talking to your host, I was thinking that maybe you'd let her come out and chat with other people, too." Oh, yeah. That would go over real well.

For something that big, he was going to need some pretty powerful ammunition. Gentle persuasion probably wouldn't be enough. Egeria had to be made to see that sharing control with Arria was the way it should be.

All at once, a thought came to Daniel. When you wanted someone to see that a certain course of action was the right thing to do, one of the most powerful arguments was to use the example of others.

"A few years ago, I met some people that I came to have a lot of respect for," he said, hoping he was doing the right thing. "Like the Goa'uld, they are symbiotes living inside the bodies of hosts, but in the most important ways, they are very different from the Goa'uld."

Her interest piqued, Egeria leaned forward slightly. "How so?"

"With these people, the symbiote and host share control. The host is not imprisoned inside their own body. They have a say in everything. When talking to one of these people, sometimes, you will be talking to the symbiote and, other times, the host. It all depends on the circumstances and who wishes to be the one in control at the moment. The symbiote and host are true partners in every way. It's really quite something." Daniel paused. "Though I can't say that I'd be eager to be a host even like that, if there was some reason that made it necessary, I would consider it. It . . . wouldn't really be a bad thing, unlike what happens to people like my wife."

Egeria stared down at her own plate of food, affected more than she would have thought she'd be by what Daniel had just told her.

"These symbiotes, do they share control out of necessity?" she asked.

Daniel shook his head. "No. If they wanted to, they could take over complete control, just like the Goa'uld do. They share control because they believe that it would be wrong to do otherwise. It is a fundamental part of their society, who and what they are. I admire them for that."

Laying her plate down, Egeria got up and went to the window, her thoughts now troubled by one particular thing.

"You must wish so dearly that the Goa'uld were that way," she said in a low voice. "If they were, you would not have lost your wife."

"Yes, I do wish they were that way, more than I can say. Sha're was already a host when I met them, and I couldn't help but think, 'If only the Goa'uld were like that.' But then, if they were, Sha're would never have been made a host at all since this race takes only willing hosts."

Egeria stared at some dark clouds building on the horizon, heralding the possible coming of rain. Daniel's words filled her mind, all the things he'd said . . . and _not_ said. She knew what he was thinking, what he _must_ be thinking, that if there was any Goa'uld who should, more than all others, be like that race of symbiotes, it was her.

"I wish to be alone for the present," she said.

Daniel got to his feet, suddenly concerned that he'd made a mistake. He hadn't wanted to upset her. That was the last thing he'd want to do.

"Egeria, I'm sorry if what I said upset you. I didn't mean to do that."

The Goa'uld queen turned to him. "It is all right, Daniel." She gave him a small smile. "We will talk again tomorrow."

Hesitating a moment, Daniel nodded, then left. Egeria returned her gaze to the clouds, which were approaching rapidly, already almost upon them. She thought of the symbiotes about which Daniel spoke, a species that, like the Goa'uld, could have complete control of their hosts' bodies, yet chose, instead, to share that power. And they did it for no other reason than that they believed it was only right for them to do so. Her fellow Goa'uld would sneer at them, would deride them for not taking what they had the power to take.

As for Egeria, she did not sneer, for, in doing what they did, they were showing more courage than the Goa'uld. For an adult Goa'uld, taking complete control of a host's body required no courage, no strength of character. You entered the body, connected to the brain, and, after a brief struggle with the host's mind if they were unwilling, it was done. But to _share_ control would require the courage to relinquish command of the body within which you lived. It would be like Egeria handing over her kingdom to another as she stood back and watched. Would she be able to do that? Would she have the courage?

At that moment, it began to rain, gently at first, then coming down in torrents. She thought of the freshly planted flowers, wondering if they would survive. Did it really matter if they didn't? They were only flowers, inanimate objects without a heart, without a mind . . . unlike her host.

Egeria left the sitting room and then the palace, walking out into the west garden. She was alone there, the workers having fled indoors. Within seconds, she was soaked to the skin, but she paid no attention to it as she lifted her gaze to the sky, blinking away raindrops.

After a few moments, she heard Camilla call to her, asking if she was all right.

"Leave me be!" she snapped. She sensed rather than saw her Lo'taur flee back inside.

From a window, Camilla watched her queen, wondering what was wrong. Had something happened? Why did Egeria stand out in the rain like that?

Worried and not knowing what else to do, Camilla went to the library in search of the one person who might be able to find out what was wrong with Egeria. When she got there, however, it was to learn that Daniel was not there. Decimus suggested that she try his quarters. She headed over there and hesitantly knocked on the door.

"Come in," said Daniel's voice.

Camilla entered to find him standing at the window.

"Camilla? Is something wrong?" he asked, surprised to see her.

"Yes. I-I mean, I do not know. Queen Egeria, she. . . ."

Daniel took a step toward her. "She what?"

"She stands out in the rain in the west garden. When I tried to speak to her, she yelled at me. She has never yelled at me before, not ever."

_'Crap,'_ Daniel cursed silently. "I'll go talk to her," he said aloud, walking past the Lo'taur.

Daniel knew that this was his doing. He'd gone too far, pushed Egeria's mind into a direction she was not yet ready to take. Once again, he'd jumped in when he should have approached more slowly, with greater caution. So, what was he going to do to fix this?

Arriving at the door that exited onto the west garden, Daniel paused in the open doorway and watched Egeria. She was standing as still as a statue, her wet clothing plastered to her body, eyes appearing to be looking at the sky . . . or perhaps at nothing at all.

Cautiously, he stepped out into the rain and approached her.

"Egeria?" he inquired softly, questioningly. There was no reply for several long seconds.

"The Goa'uld are cowards," she said at last, not turning to him. "_I_ am a coward."

"What? No! Why do you say that?"

"Because it is true. No Goa'uld would ever have the courage to do what the symbiotes you told me about do. To relinquish control, give up command. It is unthinkable! It is more than just a matter of pride, of conceit or ego. I am no stranger to those things. I have felt pride in my own skills and accomplishments. I have felt the conceit that is within all Goa'uld. But I have neither pride nor conceit in the fact that I am able to take control of a host's body. Why should I when there is nothing extraordinary about it? It is a power born to every Goa'uld, a physical ability developed through the evolution of our species from its primitive beginnings. There is no more reason to feel pride or conceit about it than a bird should feel that way about being able to fly."

Egeria finally turned around and met his eyes. "Yet, saying all those things, that giving up control of my host's body would not damage my pride or wound my ego, I still do not think I could do it. I am over two thousand years old. For all those centuries, I have been in control of the body in which I resided. To relinquish that control, to be a mere observer as this body was used to do things I did not will it to do. . . . It is a disturbing thought, a . . . frightening thought."

Daniel did not speak for a while. He knew what he wanted to say, but he also understood Egeria's feelings. If he was in her position, he couldn't say that he wouldn't feel the same.

"Egeria, I do understand why you'd feel that way. It's natural that you would. When I told you about those symbiotes, I admit that I'd hoped that you might someday consider doing the same thing. You know how I feel about the plight of a Goa'uld's host, how personal it is to me. I've made no secret of that. But I never intended to try to make you do something against your will."

He paused, then said what he knew he had to say. "There are a lot of things I'd like to say, but I'm only going to say one thing now. For all the years you've been inside Arria she has been what you said, an observer as her body was used to do things she did not will it to do. But here's the difference. She's had no choice in the matter, no other option. Once she agreed to be your host, that was it. Control of her body was lost, and she had no way to get it back. But if you were to release control to her, you have the power to take it back at any time, in an instant. Regardless of whether or not you are controlling that body at any given moment, the truth is that you would always be the one who had the real control, the one with the power over what is done with it. It's that way with the race I spoke of, too. They just choose not to look at it like that."

Knowing that he'd said all he could, Daniel turned and left. He went back to his room, ignoring all the stares he got over being sopping wet and silently apologizing to the people who would have to mop up the trail of water he was leaving.

In his room, he dried off and changed clothes. He then found a servant and asked them to get a message to Decimus that he would not be returning to the library today. After that, he went back to his room and just sat and stared. Even if today was not a day he was supposed to have off, he didn't think he'd be able to do any more work. It would be hopeless for him to even try to concentrate on translations when something so vitally important was hanging on the line.

Daniel began to wonder if this whole thing had been a terrible mistake, if he should have just served the year of slavery that he'd been sentenced to and let Egeria find her own way to the decision she'd ultimately make. What if, in meddling, he screwed it all up, made it so that Egeria would never become a Tok'ra, never give birth to the Tok'ra race? He should have just left her alone. He should have known that playing with history, even just a little, could lead to disaster.

* * *

Egeria sat before the window in her chambers, staring out at what lay beyond. The rain had stopped, and the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds. The Goa'uld queen was only peripherally aware of these things, her mind mired in the thoughts that would not go away. Despite the truth in Daniel's last words to her, the idea of giving up control of the body she was within, even for a moment, still disturbed her greatly, and that shamed her, for it made her not only a coward, but also a hypocrite. She felt contempt and disgust for her fellow Goa'uld because of their cruelty, their lust for power, the way they brutally enslaved humanity. Yet here she was, unwilling to give up, even for a short while, the power she had over her host's body. Here she was, keeping her host in unrelenting enslavement, with not even a moment of any semblance of freedom.

On that day she first talked to Arria, she had thought about the irony of being a wise and just ruler to her subjects, yet granting no rights or freedom to her own host. But that thought had not remained in her mind as it should have. She had come to enjoy speaking with her host, but that was not giving freedom. It was no more than a jailer speaking with a prisoner in a cell.

Egeria sensed her host calling to her, asking to speak. She didn't know if she wanted to hear anything the woman would say. Wasn't it obvious what Arria would tell her?

It was several minutes before Egeria finally opened herself to communication.

_'You have something to say,'_ she said in her mind.

_'I . . . I have been so terribly afraid to say what is in my heart,'_ Arria admitted, the fear she was feeling reflected in her mental voice. _'This thing that Daniel suggests, you must know how desperately I would wish it to be. It is not the thought of being able to control my own arms and legs, to move under my own power that makes me ache with longing. It is . . . it is to be able to speak with my voice, share my thoughts with others, to be heard. There have been so many things I wanted to say to people. I wanted to tell Numa that I cared about him, too, that I thought he was a good and wise man, but he died never even knowing me.'_ In her heart, she started to cry. _'I want to tell Daniel things. I want him to know me, not just what I look like. I love him, too, Egeria, and I cannot even talk to him.'_

Deeply affected by Arria's admission of love, Egeria focused her attention on her host's emotions and saw the true depth of them. The same love for Daniel that was in Egeria was also in her host's heart. They loved him as one. What would it be like to love someone and never even be able to talk to them?

_'I am powerless in all this, Egeria,'_ Arria said. _'You are the only one with the power to decide. If you decide not to do it, then I will have no choice but to continue living each year, each century, unknown and unheard by all but you. But if . . . but if you decide for it, I will be so very happy and so very grateful.'_

Arria fell silent, leaving Egeria to her thoughts, to the decision that she alone had the power to make.

* * *

The room was getting dark. That fact didn't impact upon Daniel's consciousness until he looked at his watch to see what time it was. With a sigh, he got up and began lighting some candles. He was on the third one when there was a knock on his door. He opened it and was surprised to see Egeria on the other side.

"Egeria. I, uh. . . . Please come in." He stood aside to allow her to enter, closing the door after her. When he turned around to look at her, there was a strange expression on her face. In the next moment, he received quite a shock when she suddenly wrapped her arms around him and started to cry.

Alarmed, he asked, "Egeria, what's wrong? What is it?"

The woman pulled back, her eyes scanning Daniel's face so intensely that it made him uncomfortable.

"I-I am Arria, Daniel," she said in an emotion-filled voice. "I am Arria."

Realizing what she was saying, Daniel drew in a sharp breath. "Oh my God," he whispered. "Arria? It's really you?"

A brilliant, joyful smile spread over her face, and she nodded. Laughing, Daniel pulled her into his arms to hug her tightly.

"Thank you, Egeria," he murmured low in her ear.

After releasing her, Daniel led her over to a chair and sat with her. "How are you feeling?"

"It feels . . . strange. It has been so long since I had control of my body that, for a moment, I almost couldn't remember how to make it work." She lifted her hands and stared at them as if they were alien things. "To will my hands to move and see them do it, to . . . to think up words to say and then be able to speak them." Her eyes filled with tears again. "It is wonderful, even though I know it is only temporary." She looked at him. "There are so many things I have wanted to say to you. Mostly, I have wanted to say thank you. Thank you for talking to Egeria about me, for saying the words that made her choose to speak with me. I was so lonely before then." Arria took both of his hands in hers. "And thank you for this as well."

Daniel shook his head. "I didn't do this, Arria, Egeria did."

"But it is you who planted the thought in her mind. If you had not, this would never have come to be."

"Maybe, maybe not. It might still have happened one day." Daniel couldn't very well tell her that he knew it _would_ have happened someday, even if he had never come here.

Arria got to her feet and wandered around, touching things almost like a very young child discovering the wonders of tactile sensations.

"I have thought about your wife often," she said, surprising Daniel. "I think about what it was like for her, to have been wrested away from your side and control of her body taken away from her against her will, to know that she might never again be reunited with the one she loved." She turned back to him. Seeing his face turned to the floor, grief upon it, she was instantly sorry for her words. She rushed forward. "Oh, I am so sorry, Daniel! I have brought you pain. My words were thoughtless. Egeria is rebuking me for what I have done."

Daniel blinked away the tears that burned his eyes and lifted his gaze to hers. "No. It's all right. I . . . think about that a lot, too." He swallowed the tightness in his throat. "Let's not talk about me or Sha're. Let's talk about you. After all, you're the one who's getting to talk aloud for the first time in several hundred years." He got Arria to sit back down. "So. Tell me about your life before you met Egeria. I know next to nothing about you except that you're Etrusci."

Arria told him about herself. She and her family were freeborn, but they were also poor, sometimes barely scraping by. Her brother died when he was only two, a tragedy from which her mother never fully recovered. She lost both of her parents when she was nineteen. After that, she survived the best she could by doing things like mending garments for others.

"I'm surprised you didn't marry," Daniel remarked, "especially as beautiful as you are."

Arria blushed at the compliment. "My mother did not want me to marry. Since my brother died, she wanted to hold onto me tightly. Father could have done something about it, but he let her have her way. After they died, I was then free to marry. I was courted by a boy in our village and fell in love with him. But, one day, he got drunk and tried to . . . to force himself upon me. He was stopped only just in time by another. After that, I refused to have anything more to do with him. For a long time afterwards, I could not bear the thought of a man touching me in that way."

"I'm sorry," Daniel said, feeling for her. He understood all too well how deeply rape could affect someone.

"And then I became ill, and no man would come near me, fearful that they would get the sickness from me. When I met Egeria, I did not have many more months to live. I would be dust in a grave, forgotten and unknown, if not for her."

Daniel studied the woman before him. There were so many things that he wanted to ask her, but he didn't want to get her into trouble. This thing that was happening now was so fragile. If Arria said something that angered Egeria too much, the Goa'uld queen would probably take back control and might never release it again.

"Will Egeria let you talk about your feelings about being a host?" he asked hesitantly.

Arria was silent for a moment. "She says yes, but only because it is you who is asking."

"How has it been for you? You said that you were lonely before Egeria began talking to you."

"Yes, I was lonely, with no one to talk to, no one with whom I could share my thoughts and feelings. For me, that was the worst thing about being a host. But I know that it could have been so much worse, that it _would_ have been worse if I had been taken by another Goa'uld. Except for the loneliness, my life as a host has not been a bad one. There are things Egeria has done that have not pleased me, but, in her heart, she is a good person. In truth, rather than the occasional things she did that I did not like, I believe that it was the differences between us that bothered me more."

"What do you mean?"

"For nearly all of the time that I have been her host, Egeria has been one who holds herself mostly apart from others. I know that this is because of who and what she is, and I did understand it, but it was still not easy for me. She is one who seldom touched," Arria took his hands again, "whereas I am the opposite and touch often. There were so many times when I wanted to touch someone who was in Egeria's company. I love to talk with people, to learn about them." She smiled. "My father once said that I could talk the moon out of the sky. And when I am with someone I love and trust, I will open my heart to them. But Egeria was not like that. Except for those about whom she truly cared, she did not have personal conversations or friendly discourses, and even with Numa she rarely conversed with deep emotion. This bothered me often because there were so many things I wanted her to ask, and learn, and say." Arria looked into his eyes. "But then you came into our lives, and all this changed. She sees things with new eyes now and no longer holds herself apart from everyone around her. She touches more and laughs more." Arria's expression became tender. "And she opens her heart more, though it is only to you that she does so. You have been a blessing to her . . . and to me."

Daniel looked away, a bit embarrassed by her words.

Arria sighed. "Egeria says that it is getting late, and is it time for her to resume control."

Daniel looked at her. "Will she let you have back control again someday?"

"She says it is possible." Arria gave him one last smile. "I have so enjoyed talking with you."

"I've enjoyed talking with you, too."

The eyes of the woman before him flashed. The body language changed, the spine straightening, the face becoming less open and unshuttered.

"Daniel," said Egeria.

He had half-expected her to speak with the voice of a Goa'uld, just like what happened when a Tok'ra switched from the host to the symbiote. But, as had been the case from very early on, she spoke to him with a human voice.

"Egeria. Thank you so much for what you did. I can't tell you how much it means to me." He smiled. "You see? You were wrong. You're not a coward."

Egeria got to her feet. "You were right to say what you did. My mind was so focused on just the idea of giving up control that I was not looking at the truth of the matter, that I would actually not be giving it up." She turned to him. "But what I know you _wanted_ to say is what truly weighed upon my mind as I stood in my chambers. In refusing to let Arria have even a moment of control, I was acting no better than the other Goa'uld. I was selfishly clinging to the power I had over this body, enslaving someone without even granting the most basic freedom of being able to talk to others, to touch. It shamed me."

"So, how do you feel now that you let her have control for a little while?"

"It was strange and rather disconcerting at first. I came very close to taking control back right away. I do not know if I would ever become accustomed to it, but it did not leave me with an unpleasant feeling." She smiled slightly. "I can sense how happy it made Arria. She is singing. I have never before heard my host sing."

Daniel smiled. "I'm glad. I really hope that you will do this again sometime."

Egeria lost her smile. "You must understand, Daniel, that to the people of this world I must always been Queen Egeria. They can never meet Arria. It is only to you that she can ever speak."

Daniel nodded, understanding what she was saying. The humans of this planet did not really know what a Goa'uld was. They believed that the person they saw with their eyes was Egeria herself. Only the Jaffa knew the truth. If Egeria's human subjects were to find out what she really was, there was no telling what kind of ramifications it might have. Even so, he knew that, if history played out the same, there would be a day when Egeria's host had far more freedom.

"I must go now," the Goa'uld queen said. "I will be quite busy with matters of state tomorrow, so there may not be an opportunity to converse with you."

Daniel rose from the chair. "Okay. I'll see you another day, then. Before you go, I do want to say something. I have so much respect for what you did. I don't think you truly realize how momentous it was."

"Thank you, Daniel. For you to say that means a great deal to me."

Saying goodbye, she left the room. For a long while, Daniel just stood in place, the knowledge that he actually did it almost overwhelming him. There was still a long way to go, and he didn't know what it would take to get Egeria to spawn larvae without the Goa'uld genetic knowledge, but what happened today was an amazing moment in history, the true beginning of the Tok'ra race.

Suddenly realizing that he was famished, Daniel headed out the door, eagerly looking forward to what the days ahead would bring.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It had been one Estranian week since the historic day that Egeria allowed her host to temporarily take control. In those eight days, Daniel had not seen much of the Goa'uld queen. She had been quite busy with official matters and was able to spend no more than a few minutes with him each time she saw him. The archeologist was eagerly awaiting the day when circumstances would let her have enough free time that she might allow Arria to have control again. He was trying very hard not to be impatient, but now that this enormous step had been taken, he couldn't help but feel like the day she'd set him free was almost within sight.

The truth was that it was astounding that this had happened so quickly. When he set out to help guide Egeria toward becoming a Tok'ra, he would never have dared to hope that things would reach this stage so quickly. The fact that it had taken such a short time proved how close Egeria had already been to heading down this path. If he had never come here, chances were that Egeria would have done this on her own within a year or so.

Daniel's eagerness for the process to keep moving forward had translated into restlessness. He'd spent quite a bit of time watching the men working on the garden entrance he'd designed. The stone arch itself was completed, and the men were now working on the reliefs that would decorate it. Most of them were of animals, flowers and nature scenes. The exceptions were the ones of Egeria that would be on the left and right sides, at the top. Crowning the entryway would be a statue of her with a flower close to her face, as if she was smelling it, her other hand resting upon a doe standing at her side.

Today, instead of watching the work being done on the entrance, Daniel had decided to visit Aulus, which made the master builder happy.

"It's looking great," the archeologist commented as he looked at the gallery, taking note of everything that had been done since he was last there.

"Yes. If all goes well, it will be done before winter arrives. Then we shall have a grand ceremony celebrating its completion. And you, my friend, will be one of the guests of honor." Aulus held up his hand. "Now, I do not want to hear you say that is not necessary or that you really do not want such an honor. I have made up my mind, and nothing you say will change it."

Daniel remained silent, but it was not because he was bowing to Aulus' will; it was because he was hoping that he would be gone before then.

The archeologist visited with Aulus for two hours. On the way back, he decided to make a detour and do a bit of shopping. He'd been careful about spending his money, trying to make it last since he couldn't count on getting any more, but he'd taken a liking to the fruit that was Camilla's favorite – having tasted it for the first time on the trip off-world – and wanted to get some.

Daniel's route took him past the Stargate. During the first couple of months of his slavery, every time he passed the gate, it had made his longing to go home more potent. Now, he generally passed it with barely a glance.

He was drawing abreast of the gate when the ring began to turn, the chevrons lighting up. Curious to see which merchant or trader was coming through this time, he paused as the wormhole was established.

It was with a feeling of shock that he watched not a trader or merchant come through, but half a dozen Jaffa who did not bear the mark of Egeria on their foreheads. That shock turned to dread as a seventh man appeared, one who could not be anything but a Goa'uld.

"Oh, crap," Daniel cursed under his breath.

The Goa'uld looked about, his eyes taking in the buildings and people. They fell upon Daniel – and stayed there. The archeologist's heart rate increased as the man's expression changed to one of great interest.

"You!" he called, pointing at Daniel. "Come here."

Feeling a little like a trapped animal, Daniel hesitantly came forward, painfully aware of the eyes that were raking over his body. He came to a stop a few feet away from the Goa'uld, trying very hard not to show how much he did not want to be there.

The man's coal-black eyes studied Daniel's face appraisingly.

"You are quite attractive," the Goa'uld stated. "A very interesting face, appealing. And I do not believe I have ever seen eyes quite so blue." His eyes traveled down Daniel's arm, stopping at the bracelet encircling the archeologist's right wrist. "I see that you are a slave." His lips curled into a smile that made Daniel's skin crawl. "Good. That will make things easier." He turned to his Jaffa. "Jaffa! Bring him with us."

As two of the Jaffa stepped toward Daniel, two of Egeria's Jaffa that guarded the gate also stepped forward.

"We must ask your purpose in being here," one of them said. "We received no notice that you were coming."

The Goa'uld glared at them. "How dare you question me, Jaffa. My reason for being here is something I will discuss only with your mistress. Now, step aside." His gaze narrowed. "Or do you wish to suffer at the hands of Egeria when she learns that you defied the will of one of your gods?"

The Jaffa hesitated. They had been taught from birth to obey the Goa'uld, but they were also faithful servants of Egeria and were concerned about the motives of this Goa'uld who had come unannounced into her domain.

Choosing what they believed to be the only option, instead of stepping aside, they told the man that they would escort him and his Jaffa to the palace. One of them caught Daniel's eyes as they passed him, and the archeologist saw a hint of worry there. Daniel shared the emotion.

As they made their way to the palace, the archeologist wondered who this Goa'uld was. Was he a System Lord? Daniel had no idea who all the major players were at this time in history.

Whoever he was, Daniel was certain that him being here was not a good thing.

* * *

Egeria studied the document, occasionally making notations about changing a line or phrase. She wearied of these tedious yet necessary tasks of being this world's ruler. She would far rather be spending her time with Daniel. Perhaps they could have dinner together this evening.

Just then, a Jaffa came hurrying into the throne room. By the look on his face, Egeria knew that something serious had happened.

"My Queen, a Goa'uld has arrived. He approaches even now."

"What? I received no communication from him asking for a meeting."

Before she could ask who it was, the Goa'uld entered, along with five Jaffa belonging to him and one of Egeria's.

Egeria glared at him, rising from the throne. "Enlil. What is the meaning of this? Why do you come into my domain without first announcing your intention to do so?"

"I cannot be bothered with such things," the man replied arrogantly. "I have recently come from a battle against Min in which I was victorious. He and the bulk of his army were destroyed."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Egeria asked, not caring one iota that Min was dead.

"I have learned that all of the larvae within his Jaffa came from a queen he seeded. Considering his reputation, this does not surprise me, but as the new master of his territories and armies, I will not abide having Jaffa in my army that are carrying larvae tainted with his seed. They must all be removed. Therefore, I need new larvae to replace them. I will need many, more than I can obtain from those already available to me."

Egeria's anger deepened. "You come uninvited and unannounced into my domain, and then expect me to spawn for you? What arrogance! I would sooner spawn for that vile creature, Sokar!"

Enlil's face darkened, his eyes glittering. "Be wary of what you say, Egeria. It would not take much for my ships to level this city of yours."

Egeria fought to tone down her anger. "If you had approached me properly about this, I would have considered your request, but in doing this, you have insulted me. Do you honestly expect me to happily give you what you want? I can, however, tell you the names of other queens who may be amenable to your request in return for certain favors. I would advise you, though, to show them more respect than you have shown me."

Enlil appeared to consider her words. "Very well," he finally said.

Egeria gave him the names and locations of two queens that she believed would be interested in spawning for him.

"Now, there is another matter," Enlil said. "I have been in this host for a thousand years, and I grow tired of his face. I wish to take a new host. Upon arriving here, I found a slave whose appearance pleases me greatly, and I have decided that he is the one I will choose." He looked over his shoulder and called, "Jaffa! Bring him in."

Egeria looked up to see a Jaffa bring a man in. Her heart froze in horror upon seeing who that man was.

His arm in a tight grip, Daniel was brought into the throne room. He had heard most of what had gone on in here. The Goa'uld was Enlil, who, in mythology, was the Sumero-Babylonian god of air, wind and storms. Though sometimes a friend of humans, he also had a bad reputation for being pretty nasty, raining all kinds of disasters on humanity, including the Babylonian version of the biblical flood that all but wiped out the human race. Min, the Goa'uld he killed, was an ancient Egyptian deity who was primarily a god of male sexuality. Judging by what Enlil said, Min apparently took on that role with enthusiasm.

Daniel had failed to hear the last part of the conversation, so he didn't know why he was here. When he looked into Egeria's eyes, he knew it was bad.

Enlil walked up to the archeologist, his eyes once again going over Daniel's face and body, totally creeping the archeologist out.

"Yes," the Goa'uld said with a smile. "A fine specimen. He will be an excellent new host for me."

_'Oh, God,'_ Daniel's mind whispered in utter horror. His heart began racing in his chest, his throat going dry. _'This is not happening. This is not happening.'_

"No."

All eyes turned to the person who had spoken the single word. Egeria stood ramrod-straight, her eyes burning with anger and determination.

"You will not take him for a host," she declared.

Enlil focused a glare upon her. "Again you refuse me and, this time, over a human slave. My patience grows thin."

"I care not about your patience, Enlil. First, you come without permission into my domain and expect me to spawn for you. And then you pull one of my subjects off the street and announce that you are taking him as your new host. How dare you presume that you can take one of my servants without even asking if it is acceptable to me? You shall not have him nor any other human in my domain. Go find your new host elsewhere."

Enlil's temper boiled over. "I accepted your first refusal, but you push me too far, Egeria. Are you prepared to go to war over this slave?" He waved his hand at Daniel in a gesture of contempt. "Give him to me, and I will leave in peace. Continue to refuse, and suffer the consequences."

Daniel's fear was quickly escalating. He could not let Egeria go to war over him, but he also could not let himself be taken as a host. If he was made a host, Enlil would find out about the time travel device and all about Earth's future, including the Stargate Program.

Daniel frantically tried to think of something that he could do. His eyes fell upon a staff weapon. If he could get hold of it, he probably wouldn't be able to kill Enlil, but he might be able to turn it upon himself. If he blew his own head off, not even a sarcophagus could bring him back to life.

Preparing to make a dive for the weapon, Daniel was halted by Egeria's voice.

"Listen, Enlil, and listen well," she said in a dangerous tone. "Only a short while ago, Lord Yu approached me to forge an alliance. All it will take is a word from me, and that alliance will be made. And then it will not be me whom you shall be battling, but one of the most powerful System Lords in the galaxy." Her eyes speared into his. "Do you think your armies can defeat him like you defeated Min? Is this slave worth your utter destruction?" She turned her back on him and returned to her throne, sitting upon it with haughty grace. "If so, then declare your war. I will delight in seeing Lord Yu wipe you out of existence."

To Daniel, it felt like the entire room was holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen. It went on for several seconds that felt like eons. Then, without a word, Enlil spun on his heels, shouted, "Jaffa, kree!" and stormed out of the throne room, his Jaffa following in his wake.

The tension in Daniel's body released with almost painful suddenness. Bowing his head, he closed his eyes and took in a slow, deep breath.

After a few seconds, he felt a hand upon his shoulder. He looked up into Egeria's eyes.

"You are safe, Daniel," she told him gently, her voice now once again that of a human. "I would not have let him take you as a host."

"You nearly went to war, Egeria. I couldn't have let that happen."

She stared at him. "You would have let yourself become a host to prevent it?"

"Well, uh, actually, I was getting ready to grab a staff weapon and blow my head off. I figured that would put an end to the matter."

Egeria was horrified by Daniel's confession. It did not surprise her, however, that he would rather kill himself than become a host.

"Come. Let us go to the sitting room for privacy."

Egeria ordered several Jaffa in the throne room to "escort" Enlil all the way to the Stargate. If he attempted to take any other subject of Egeria's, they had her permission to do what was necessary to stop him. A dozen Jaffa immediately hurried out of the room, double the force Enlil came with, ensuring that the Goa'uld would think twice about pulling anything.

Once in the sitting room, Egeria called for some wine. Though he'd never developed much of a taste for the stuff, what Daniel really wanted right now was a beer . . . or perhaps a shot of Skaara's strong-enough-to-peel-paint-off-walls moonshine.

"Your courage facing Enlil was impressive," Egeria remarked. "You showed no fear."

"Oh, trust me. I was scared out of my mind. I think that being turned into a Goa'uld host is one of the things I fear most."

"I cannot tell you how sorry I am that you were forced to go through that."

"It wasn't your fault, Egeria. It was just another case of my really bad timing. If I'd left Aulus five minutes sooner or later, I wouldn't have been near the gate when Enlil came, and he wouldn't have seen me. I suppose I should feel flattered that he thought I was good material for a new host." Daniel's expression made it clear that he most definitely was not flattered. He met the Goa'uld queen's eyes. "You've made an enemy of him, Egeria. What if, someday, he decides to send a fleet of ships and blast the planet from orbit?"

"The System Lords would not be pleased if he took such a step. There are not many queens. To kill one without good cause would be severely frowned upon."

Daniel's gaze sharpened. "And they wouldn't consider this good cause? Refusing to spawn for him after he marched in here without an invitation is one thing, but refusing to let him take a human he chose to be his host is something else entirely. The Goa'uld aren't known for putting much value on the life of a human."

"As much as it pains me to say this, Daniel, it is a matter of possession. All humans that a Goa'uld rules over are considered to be their possessions, and a Goa'uld has the right to refuse to allow another Goa'uld to take one."

"But what about the raids?" Daniel asked. "I know that Goa'uld raid other planets, looking for hosts. That's how Sha're was taken."

"Usually, the planets that are raided belong to that Goa'uld or to none. Occasionally, a more powerful Goa'uld will raid a world within a minor Goa'uld's domain. He can then choose to make restitution by giving something to the other Goa'uld in return or he can just ignore any complaints, knowing that the Goa'uld does not have the power to challenge him."

"Well, I'm still worried. Enlil could decide to destroy the city out of spite, but let you escape. Then he wouldn't have to worry about repercussions from the System Lords. I suppose you couldn't petition the System Lords and ask them to tell him to leave you alone."

Egeria shook her head. "They would likely tell me that the matter is between me and Enlil." Her expression turned thoughtful. "There may, however, be something I _can_ do." She rose to her feet. "Excuse me, Daniel. I do not wish to cut short this time with you, but I must contact someone."

Daniel got up. "Of course. Maybe we can talk tomorrow."

As he left the sitting room, Daniel wondered who she was going to call and if it would succeed in keeping Estrania safe.

* * *

It was done. As Egeria walked to her chambers, she thought about the deal she had just struck with Lord Yu. All System Lords had a queen who spawned larvae only for them and all those within that System Lord's "clan" and the minor Goa'uld who were closely allied with them. Yu's own queen had been killed sometime back. Since then, he had not found one to take her place and had been obtaining larvae from wherever he could, mostly from the queens who remained independent, allying with no particular Goa'uld. He had approached Egeria to ask that she become his new queen.

Guessing that a large number of larvae would be something that Yu would be quite eager to get, Egeria had just offered to spawn for him in exchange for his help in making sure that Enlil did not bother her. How Yu would accomplish his part of the bargain was entirely up to him.

Of course, Egeria was now faced with the distasteful task of spawning again. Spawning did not used to be something she found distasteful. As a queen, her primary purpose of existence was to produce offspring. She had always done so willingly.

In truth, it was not the thought of spawning that she dreaded, it was what she must do beforehand. She had no desire to bed some stranger that her First Prime brought to her. She had no desire to bed _anyone_ except Daniel. Her last experience obtaining the code of life had left her feeling frustrated and dissatisfied. She had no doubt that this time would as well.

But there really was no other choice. Even if Daniel was amenable to making love with her, he would never consent to helping create more of the race that he hated so deeply, symbiotes that would one day subjugate human hosts. She would not even consider asking him to do so.

Once she had reached her chambers, Egeria told Camilla to fetch her First Prime. He arrived a short while later.

"It is necessary for me to spawn again," she told him. "As always, I wish for you to go into the outlying areas and select a suitable male for me."

Mek'ren inclined his head. "I will do my best to select one who will please you, My Queen."

He began to turn away, but Egeria stopped him.

"Choose one who is similar in coloring to the last man: brown skin, dark hair and eyes," she commanded.

The Jaffa bowed his head again. "Yes, My Queen."

As her First Prime left, Egeria went to the window and stared outside. This was the first time she had been specific on what she wanted the man's coloring to be. The reason for it was that she wanted him to be as different from Daniel as possible, no resemblance at all. This time, she had no intention of allowing herself to fantasize that it was Daniel with whom she was mating, and having a man in her bed who looked nothing like him would help.

Knowing that it would likely be a few hours before her First Prime returned, Egeria went to the west garden to see how things were coming along with the entryway. She was pleased to see that the work was going well.

Her eyes went to the top of the structure, where she knew that a statue of her would be placed. As she stared at the expanse of stone, an idea came to her, and a smile curved her lips. Yes, she would have to see about that. It would no doubt cause some talk in the palace, but it would also bring her pleasure. The trick would be in getting what would be needed for the job. That might prove to be challenging. She would have to put some thought into it. At least it would give her something to distract her mind while she waited for her First Prime to return.

* * *

As she did nearly four months ago, Egeria stared at the larvae to which she had just given birth. They were only the first brood. She would spawn more after giving herself some time to rest.

This time, when the man chosen by her Jaffa took her into his arms, his face remained firmly in her mind. When his body joined with hers, she kept away all visions of Daniel. She tried to find some passion for him, to gain pleasure out of the union, but it was impossible, though it was through no fault of his. Under other circumstances, she would have found him a very good lover. The man tried his best to please her and seemed genuinely troubled that he was failing, and so she pretended the ecstasy that she did not feel. It was the first time she had ever done such a thing.

Afterwards, as always, she used the Nish'ta'el, the drug that all Goa'uld queens possessed, and implanted the thought in his mind that he must not tell anyone that he had laid with her, that, if he did, he would become impotent and remain so for the rest of his life. Even after the effects of the drug had worn off, the mental suggestion would remain in effect. This was something that Egeria believed was necessary. She could not have men bragging to their friends that they had relations with the queen.

Just like last time, after the code of life had been procured and the man was taken home, Egeria found herself filled with discontentment, as she had suspected she would. This time, though, her emotions were also tinged with sadness. How deeply she longed to be in Daniel's arms, to make love with him throughout the night. Was it something that would ever happen? Was it something that _should_ happen? It would be painful enough as it was to let him go at the end of his year of servitude. If they became lovers, she did not think that she would have the strength to let him go.

_'Egeria?'_

The voice of her host pulled the Goa'uld queen from her thoughts. _'Yes?'_

_'The children to whom you give birth have the memories of the Goa'uld, do they not?'_

_'Yes.'_

_'Do they have your personal memories?'_

Egeria frowned. _'Why do you ask?'_

_'I fear that the other Goa'uld will not like that you talk to me and that you allowed me to have control for a short while. If these children have your memories of those things, they may tell others.'_

_'Do not fear, Arria. That will not happen. A queen has a certain measure of control over what memories will be inherited by her offspring. Though she cannot pick and choose which of the ancestral memories she passes on – those memories with which she herself was born – she can control how much of her own personal memories are passed on. These larvae will know nothing about what has happened between us. Nor will they have any knowledge of Daniel. That I did to protect him.'_

_'My mind is at ease, then.'_ There was a moment of silence. _'Egeria, what would happen if the larvae did not get any memories at all?'_

_'They would be helpless, unable to function.'_

_'Could they not be taught how to do things? Human babies do not inherit the memories of their parents. They learn as they grow.'_

Egeria thought about that. _'I suppose it might be possible, although, once they were within Jaffa, I am unsure how they could be trained. The implantation would have to be delayed, which would pose some risks. You see, before the Jaffa were created, back when larvae matured inside pools and tanks until placed inside hosts, many did not survive the blending with the host. Both they and the hosts died. That is why the Jaffa were made to carry our young. Being carried inside a human-like body as they mature – learning the structures of the body, how to heal it – gives a Goa'uld what it needs to be able to quickly adapt to being inside a host's body.'_

Arria paused for another few seconds. _ 'It is a shame they must be given all the memories.'_

_'Why do you say that? Those memories ensure their survival and make it possible for them to live in Goa'uld society. Without them, they would be at a severe disadvantage. It is doubtful that they would live for long.'_

_'It is just that I have been thinking about what Daniel said when he told us about that race of symbiotes. He said that, though he would not be eager to be a host to one of them, if it was necessary, he might do it. If a Goa'uld had none of the memories of all the terrible things its ancestors have done, if, instead, it was taught and trained like a human child, could it not be taught to be good and kind, to respect its host, perhaps even to let its host share control like those other symbiotes do? If such a Goa'uld existed, Daniel might agree to become its host, and then he could be with us for always.'_

Her host's statement hit Egeria forcefully. Arria was right. If a Goa'uld was spawned without the genetic knowledge and all the evil and lust for power that came with it, they would be like human infants that could be taught right from wrong, good from bad. Their teacher could instill within them a code of ethics, teach them that taking an unwilling host was wrong and cruel. Untainted by the Goa'uld genetic memories, they could be taught so many things. They would be like blank paper upon which could be written anything the teacher chose.

Her mind filled with thoughts, Egeria left the spawning room, passed through the room with her private bath, and entered her bed chamber. There, she laid upon the bed and really thought about this thing that Arria had placed in her mind.

This was something she had never considered, to give birth to a symbiote free of the corrupting power of the genetic knowledge, one who could be taught to do good deeds rather than being yet another evil member of a race she was coming to despise more every day. Nothing like it had ever entered her mind. But, now that the idea was there, it was filling every corner of her consciousness. Such a symbiote could give her what she most dearly wanted: a way to keep Daniel with her for as long as she lived. Of course, he might refuse, but it was possible that she could convince him that it would be the right thing to do. Just in the short time that he'd been on Estrania, he had changed lives, mostly for the better. How much good could he accomplish if he had millennia in which to do it? The whole galaxy could benefit from it. Yes, there would be certain obstacles to overcome, but she had succeeded in overcoming them, and so could Daniel.

The more Egeria thought about it, the more excited she became. But then a thought intruded upon her excitement. How could it be done?

The knowledge passed on from mother to offspring was not encoded within the genes in the same way that, in humans, things like eye color, facial features and other such things were. Instead, as the larvae were being formed inside her body, the queen would pass on the memories via a mental connection with her mind. This connection was instinctual, almost subconscious. But could it be broken?

This would require more thought. Now was not the time for it, though. She had more larvae to spawn for Yu, larvae that would have all the Goa'uld memories intact. But once her duty to him had been completed, then she would think about how she could create a symbiote worthy of having her beloved Daniel as a host.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Enlil was dead, a victim of his own arrogance and foolishness. As Egeria listened to the account of his death, she could not help but smile. Daniel must be told this. Ordering a servant to tell the archeologist to join her in the sitting room, Egeria went there to await him. He arrived just a few minutes later.

"I have some excellent news," she said as she took a seat. "Enlil is dead."

Daniel, who had also been in the act of sitting down, paused in surprise, startled gaze landing upon her. He then lowered himself the rest of the way into the chair.

"What happened?" he asked.

"As you know, I contacted someone regarding the issue with him. That someone was Lord Yu. Though I still do not desire a permanent alliance with him, I believed that he might be willing to lend his aid in the matter of Enlil in exchange for a specific number of larvae. We talked, and he agreed to the bargain."

"So, you're going to have to, uh, spawn for him?"

"It has already been done."

"Oh." Daniel shifted slightly, choosing not to think about the obtaining of DNA that Egeria would have had to do beforehand.

"I produced the number of larvae Yu and I agreed upon. They merely await transport to the location he chooses."

"So, in exchange for getting those larvae, Yu killed Enlil? Excuse me for saying this, but that sort of seems like an uneven trade. Not that those larvae aren't of value to him, but. . . ."

"I understand your meaning, Daniel. Yu's intention was not to kill Enlil. He sent an emissary, informing Enlil that I was under Yu's protection and that Enlil was not to bring any harm to me or to anyone or thing in my domain. I do not know the details of what happened next, but Enlil apparently took exception to being told what he could not do. He grew enraged and killed the emissary. This, in turn, greatly angered Lord Yu. He immediately sent ships in retaliation. The battle was over quite quickly, Yu suffering only minor losses."

Daniel shook his head. "I guess that, in addition to being hot-tempered and impetuous, Enlil also wasn't very smart."

Egeria smiled. "I would say so as well."

"So, I suppose that Enlil is no longer going to be needing a bunch of larvae." With a straight face, he added, "I guess this also means that all of Min's . . . hard work won't be going to waste after all."

Egeria burst into laughter, delighted by the remark. "Yes, the larvae that Min's seed helped to create will live on. He did always relish his role as an Egyptian god of sexuality. From my understanding, he bedded over half the female servants in his palace."

Daniel hesitated before speaking the thought that came into his mind. "But it wasn't actually Min's, uh . . . seed that helped make the larvae, was it? I mean, from what I understand, with the exception of queens, Goa'uld have no gender."

"This is true. It was, in fact, his host's seed that was used, but, in the mind of most Goa'uld, the human body in which they reside is _their_ body, an extension of the symbiote's physical form."

"So, when the Goa'uld gives his host's DNA for a queen to use, in his mind, it's like it is _his_ DNA."

"DNA?" Egeria questioned.

"That's, um, what my people call the part of a living thing that contains the genetic instructions used to create it."

Egeria nodded. "Ah, yes. We call it the code of life."

Daniel's gaze fell to his lap. "Yes, I . . . I know," he said, the memory of Hathor calling it that coming unbidden to his mind.

Wanting to get his mind off that other Goa'uld queen, Daniel said, "Okay, so maybe you would be willing to answer a question for me. I've sometimes heard a Goa'uld referred to as another's father or son, but that isn't really true. Queens reproduce asexually, don't they? I mean, they must if there's no such thing as a male Goa'uld symbiote. They certainly couldn't use a human host's sperm to fertilize their eggs."

Wondering how it was that Daniel could know so much about Goa'uld reproduction, Egeria replied. "You are correct. A Goa'uld queen needs no male to fertilize her eggs. What you are talking about is merely another example of the ego of a Goa'uld. Goa'uld in the bodies of male hosts enjoy believing that they can father Goa'uld offspring even though they are aware that they cannot. Therefore, a Goa'uld will sometimes choose to give his host's seed to a queen so that she can use it to produce one or more offspring, which he will then call his sons and daughters. Another reason for doing this is the standing it gives him in the eyes of his human servants and Jaffa."

Daniel nodded. "I get what you mean. In the history of my world, a monarch that produced no heirs, especially male heirs, was often derided."

"Yes. Often, a Goa'uld who calls another 'son' or 'daughter' will give to that one some power in his territories and over his armies. And if a Goa'uld is killed by someone, his son or daughter is expected to avenge his death."

"Unless the son or daughter _is_ the one who killed him."

Egeria smiled slightly. "Yes, that is sometimes the case. The child covets the power belonging to the parent and decides to take it for themselves."

"A hazard that human rulers face as well."

"True."

Silence fell between them. It was broken after several seconds by Egeria.

"You have revealed to me your awareness that a Goa'uld queen passes on the knowledge of the Goa'uld race to her children."

Daniel felt his heart rate increase a little. Could this be leading to the conversation that he'd been trying to figure out how he was going to start?

"I wish you to know that, when I spawned the larvae for Lord Yu, I did not give to them any memories of you or of the things that have occurred between me and Arria. This I did to protect you and to prevent any problems that might occur if my fellow Goa'uld learned of what has transpired between me and my host."

"That was a good idea. To be honest, I didn't even think about that, though I probably would have eventually. I didn't realize that queens could pick and choose which memories to pass on."

"We have that power only with our personal memories, not those that we received from our own mothers."

"Too bad," Daniel murmured. If a queen could weed out the worst of the genetic memories, it would be easy to produce symbiotes that weren't corrupted by all that evil and desire for power but still had the knowledge that was useful. It would have been a big benefit to the Tok'ra to have been born with some of the vast storehouse of knowledge possessed by the Goa'uld.

"Too bad?" Egeria repeated, a question in her voice.

"Oh, I, um . . . was just thinking that if you could completely control which memories were passed on, it would be a great thing," he explained, not daring to look at her for fear that he'd give his nervousness away. "I know what comes with that genetic knowledge, that it's why the Goa'uld are born evil. If you could take out the bad stuff and leave only the knowledge of things like technology, astronomy, and other things like that, it would be fantastic." He glanced at Egeria. "You could create symbiotes that weren't evil."

Daniel was hoping that Egeria would pick up that thought and run with it, take it to where he wanted her to go. He could not know that, at that moment, both she and Arria were pretty excited that his thoughts appeared to be going along the same path that theirs were.

"Such a thing would not be possible, I fear," Egeria said. "There may, however, be a way to spawn symbiotes that lack the Goa'uld memories completely, which would also result in ones untainted with the evil of my race."

Daniel's heart rate went up a little more as he looked at her. "Really?" he said, feigning ignorance.

"Yes. It was Arria who put the thought into my mind. Her reasoning was similar to yours, that symbiotes spawned without the memories of the Goa'uld would not be born with evil in their heart. Also, they could be taught to share control of the body with their hosts, like those symbiotes of which you spoke."

Daniel had to smile. So, Egeria's host had beaten him to the punch and managed to get her to think about spawning larvae without the genetic memories. Good for Arria.

"Such a thing has never been done before," Egeria continued, "so I am still unsure how I could go about accomplishing it. It would not be an easy task."

"Would you be willing to tell me how the knowledge is passed on? Maybe between the two of us, we could figure it out."

Egeria explained the process to him. It was something he already knew, but he pretended that it was all news to him. He also knew how it was that Egeria accomplished it, though he didn't know all the details.

"Well, if I'm understanding this correctly, something that might work is a process similar to what my people call biofeedback," he told her. "One of the things people who are trained in biofeedback can do is control the pattern of their brainwaves, the, um, wave frequency that the brain operates on. They can increase or decrease the wave pattern at will. I'm not sure how it is for a Goa'uld, but at the extremely low wave patterns, the human mind is normally in a very deep state of unconsciousness. Brainwave activity is at a minimum. I have to wonder if you could do the same, lower your brainwave activity to the bare minimum, if it would prevent the genetic knowledge from being given to the larvae."

Egeria thought about it and came to the conclusion that it might work. If her brain was in such a state, the mental conduit to her offspring would be cut off.

"Yes," she said. "That may be the way it could be accomplished."

Daniel finally let his excitement show. "Egeria, do you have any idea what this could mean? You could create an entire race of Goa'uld symbiotes that weren't bent on conquest and the pursuit of power. It could change the galaxy."

Egeria frowned slightly. Her goal was not to create a new race, to change the galaxy. Her goal was far more modest: to give the man she loved a life that spanned millennia rather than a few tragically short decades.

"Daniel, to do such a thing would be a monumental undertaking. It would also be very dangerous. Eventually, the other Goa'uld would discover what I was doing and take action to stop it. If, on the other hand, just a few such symbiotes were spawned and then placed within willing hosts, they could do a great deal of good, yet manage to remain undetected."

"How many are you talking about?" Daniel asked cautiously, knowing that he needed to tread carefully. He couldn't push her too hard, too quickly.

"Perhaps five or six in the beginning, a few more at a later time."

Daniel stared down at the floor between his feet. He knew that's not how things happened in the history of the Tok'ra. The majority of their numbers were born within a short period of time, a matter of a few decades. The ones that were born later were spawned during the time that Egeria was on the run from Ra. Somehow, he had to convince her that spawning greater numbers would be the way to go.

That thought went right out of Daniel's head when Egeria spoke her next words.

"When you talked about that race of symbiotes, you said that, if there was a need, you might consider being a host to one such as them." She leaned forward. "With a Goa'uld symbiote inside you who shares your goodness and compassion, you could do great things, Daniel, for you would have many thousands of years to help others, to change the galaxy the way that you have changed things here."

Uh oh. This was something he hadn't anticipated. So, how was he going to handle this? Even if he wanted to, he couldn't take her up on her offer and ignore the impact such a thing could have on the way that history originally played out. So how was he going to turn her down in a way that she would understand and accept? It was pretty clear that she really wanted him to say yes.

Daniel got to his feet and moved away a few paces. He was just about to speak when it occurred to him that there were two important questions that needed to be answered first.

Daniel turned back to the Goa'uld queen and asked the first question, one to which he had already figured out the answer. "Um . . . Egeria, do you use a sarcophagus?"

It did not surprise Egeria that he knew about the sarcophagus since his knowledge of the Goa'uld appeared to be so extensive.

"Yes, when it is necessary."

Daniel met her eyes. "To keep your host from aging and to extend your own life."

This time, Egeria _was_ surprised. How could he know that? It was one of the Goa'uld's most closely guarded secrets. Not even the Jaffa knew what role the sarcophagus played in the longevity of the Goa'uld.

Daniel saw the surprise in her eyes. "Yes, I know what the sarcophagus does for the Goa'uld. I also know what the price is for using one when you're not sick or injured, especially in humans who are not hosts."

Egeria stared at him with piercing intensity. Who was this man that knew things about the Goa'uld that no human should know, who possessed the knowledge of secrets about her race and their technology that would mean instant death for him if another Goa'uld found out? Were there more like him, humans with all this dangerous knowledge wandering the galaxy as the Goa'uld remained ignorant of it?

"Who are you?" Egeria asked.

Caught by surprise, Daniel stammered, "W-w-what? I don't under. . . ." And then he _did_ understand, and he suddenly got very nervous. Crap. He'd finally gone and done it, revealed too much about what he knew. He turned away quickly, unable to do anything except pray that Egeria did not turn "Goa'uld" on him and demand he tell her things that he could not.

Egeria got to her feet. "From the beginning, you have shown that you know more about the Goa'uld than any human about which I have ever heard. I chose not to question how or where you gained this knowledge, though any other member of my race would stop at nothing to discover the answer. But these things you know, many of them are secrets that only the Goa'uld should know. How could you have learned them?"

Daniel closed his eyes, head bowed. "Please don't ask me that, Egeria," he pleaded. "It's something I can't tell you." He finally turned and met her eyes. "Please."

Egeria looked into the blue depths, seeing the desperation of his plea, the fear of what would happen if she demanded an answer. She thought about his intention to kill himself rather than become a host. Would he do the same to keep this secret, to keep it even from her?

"You do not trust me," she said, feeling hurt and a little angry.

"No, Egeria. Please believe that isn't the reason. I _do_ trust you. I know that if I told you, you wouldn't intentionally misuse the knowledge. But my life is not the only one at stake. More is riding on me keeping this secret than you could imagine. I couldn't gamble the fate of so much and so many by telling you and taking the chance that, somehow, some other Goa'uld would find out or that, in telling you, I'd end up causing changes that would lead to a disaster. You have no idea the fine line I am walking, the line I have been walking ever since I began revealing that I know more about the Goa'uld than I should know."

Daniel took a single step toward her. "Egeria, you've done things that show that you trust me. I've been honored that you've given that trust to me. I'm asking you now to keep trusting me, to accept that this is something I can't tell you."

Gazing into Daniel's pleading eyes, Egeria recognized that she had a choice to make: to show her trust in Daniel, the man she loved, or sacrifice all that they had come to be to each other in exchange for knowledge. If she chose the former, he would continue to be her friend and the man she hoped would someday be her mate for life. If she selected the latter, she would lose him forever.

The realization suddenly came to Egeria that this was far more than just something between her and Daniel. At the very heart of it, this was actually a choice between being a Goa'uld or being someone who felt friendship, and compassion, and trust, and all the other things that the Goa'uld were incapable of feeling.

So, was she still a Goa'uld in her heart or did she have the courage to completely reject their ways and rise above them? She looked at the man standing before her, the man who had taught her so much, and knew the answer.

"For all of my life I have known that I was different from other Goa'uld," she said. "Because of this, I have made decisions they would not, done things that departed from what the Goa'uld have done from the day our race took their first hosts and struck out into the galaxy. Some of those things were small, others not quite so small. Estrania was founded upon a way of thinking that would be foreign to other Goa'uld. Yet, though I already recognized these things, I did not truly see myself until you came."

Egeria's statement surprised Daniel. Not knowing where this was leading, he remained silent.

"You have shown me things about myself, Daniel, that I had only touched the surface of before because I lacked the desire or courage to go deeper. I was content to stay safely within the . . . fringes of what a Goa'uld is, never fully breaking from my heritage." She stepped toward him. "You have changed me, my Daniel. You have taught me to feel more, to _be_ more than I had believed myself to be. Though my genes mark me as a Goa'uld, in my heart, I am not a Goa'uld. They would throw you into a cell and torture you until you revealed your secrets or would make you a host and learn the secrets that way. But I will do neither." She lifted her head proudly. "The time has come for me to leave the fringes. As of today, I reject the ways of my race once and for all."

Daniel stood utterly still, stunned beyond speech. This was more than he could ever have dreamed of seeing happen. He had known that when Egeria broke completely from the Goa'uld, she had rejected everything that came with being one of her race, but he could never have guessed that it would happen now, so swiftly and in this way.

"Egeria, I . . . I honestly don't know what to say," he finally managed to utter. "What you are doing is. . . ." He shook his head. "I don't think you have any idea of how important it is." He gave a short laugh. "You may be able to tell that I'm feeling a little overwhelmed right now. It isn't often that I struggle for words." He took a deep breath. "But I do want to say thank you for choosing to trust me and accept that I couldn't tell you what you wanted to know. If it was only my own welfare that was at risk, I would tell you. I want you to understand that."

Egeria smiled gently. "I know, and I do understand. I could not expect any less from you than to do everything in your power to protect the lives of others, even if it meant sacrificing your own life to do it."

Guessing that Daniel might be feeling the need to have some time alone, she then said, "Perhaps you would like to go for a walk. We can talk again later."

"Actually, that does sound good," Daniel responded. Not only would it give him a chance to process what just happened, it would also delay the conversation about him becoming a host.

"I will see you later, then."

Daniel was heading for the door when he got a sudden idea. He turned back to Egeria.

"How about if you come with me? Have you ever gone for a walk in the city before?"

"No, I have not. I have always been on my litter or in my carriage."

"Well, then I think it's about time that you do."

Thinking about it, Egeria decided that she very much liked that idea. "I would be delighted."

Though she would have preferred that it be just the two of them on the walk, she knew that would probably not be wise. It was not that she was concerned for her safety. She had faith that she would be in no personal danger. None of her people would ever seek to harm her. However, it was going to be a big enough shock for them to see her walking around the city. If she was to do so with no personal guard, with no one but a lone slave along, she could only imagine the talk that would circulate. Besides, the Jaffa might discourage some freeman from approaching and disturbing her and Daniel. On that thought, perhaps she should take care to choose Jaffa whose appearance were especially fearsome.

And so it was that she and Daniel struck out into the city with two very imposing Jaffa following far enough behind them that they could talk in private, but close enough to quickly come to their aid if they needed it.

Not surprisingly, they got a whole lot of stares. The people of Estrania were not accustomed to seeing their queen walking among them like just another person. She and Daniel mostly ignored the stares . . . or, in Daniel's case, at least _tried_ to ignore them.

Daniel first took Egeria to the big marketplace, and they shopped at the stalls. The merchants were extremely nervous and bending over backwards to please Egeria, most offering to give away everything in which she showed an interest. She would have none of that and told every merchant from which she purchased something that they would receive fair payment. She and Daniel left the marketplace after two hours with pastries, little trinkets, and a beautiful pendant hanging from Egeria's neck. Also purchased were items crafted by some of the artisans, which the Goa'uld queen arranged to be delivered to the palace. Yet another thing they left with was a smile on Egeria's face.

"Though I have been to the marketplace before, it was only for a short while, and I usually remained in my litter," she said. "I did not realize how enjoyable it would be to do what we just did."

Daniel's mouth twitched upward in a smile. "On my world, most women love to go shopping. I sometimes think it's encoded in their genes or something. And what their fascination with shoes is all about is something I will never understand."

Egeria laughed. "Shoes?"

"Oh, yes."

She looked down at the delicate yet functional sandals upon her own feet. "I have never found myself thinking a great deal about my footwear."

The thought came to Daniel that the shoe obsession probably didn't develop in the female gender on Earth until much later in history.

He and Egeria mostly wandered aimlessly, stopping to look at this and that. It occurred to Egeria that, though this was her city, the city that was created by her command, she had not truly looked upon it and its inhabitants until now. As they walked, she studied her subjects, watched them working, going from here to there, carrying on with their daily lives. If she was to vanish from existence at this moment, all of this would keep right on going as it was – until some other Goa'uld came and took control.

If she was to leave and no other Goa'uld came to take her place, what would happen here? Sooner or later, some sort of ruler or ruling body would have to be appointed from among the citizens. If the new rulers were wise and just, this civilization would carry on without her, growing and thriving. Most Goa'uld would find that thought intolerable. They would want to believe that, without them, the worlds in their territories would either stagnate or fall into ruin. Egeria, however, found it to be a pleasant thought that, without the heavy hand of another Goa'uld taking over, her domain might be able to survive and continue to grow.

Daniel glanced at the woman beside him. Other than brief moments of conversation, she had been mostly silent. He could tell that she was enjoying herself. She seemed to find particular pleasure in watching children play. He had to wonder if she'd ever taken the time to do that before today.

When he'd decided to invite her along, one of the main reasons was that he thought it would be good for her. According to things she'd said, she had traveled to many other worlds, yet, when she was on Estrania, she spent most of her time on the palace grounds. He wanted to see that change.

Since beginning their tour through the city, Daniel's mind had returned often to her declaration. If she truly meant what she'd said, then the conclusion of his efforts wouldn't be far off. If he was careful and did things right, it might not take much to convince her that to create large numbers of symbiotes without the Goa'uld memories would be an important step toward bringing down the Goa'uld and freeing the galaxy from their grasp. On the other hand, Egeria had only said that she was rejecting the ways of the Goa'uld. That was not the same thing as opposing them and their rule. Creating the Tok'ra was the act of someone who was making themselves an enemy of the Goa'uld. Egeria might not be at that point yet.

Their wanderings eventually led them past Egeria's temple. She stopped and looked at it.

"What foolishness," she murmured, shaking her head.

Daniel said nothing, allowing her to continue.

"When this city was being constructed, there was no question that there would be a temple for me. Every Goa'uld has a temple on the planet upon which they reside. Many have temples on every inhabited world in their territory. Back when this was built, I was a god to the people of this world, not a queen. They bowed before me in worship and, often, in fear."

"Did you enjoy that?" Daniel asked tentatively.

"Yes, though I am ashamed to admit that now. It was not the fear I enjoyed. I never took pleasure in my subjects fearing me. But the thought that they worshiped me . . . yes, it was pleasurable. I was still very much a child of the Goa'uld back then. But, as the decades passed, I became more a queen and less a god. It was a gradual change, brought about because I ruled in a manner more like a human monarch than a god. I am still considered to be a deity here; people still come to this temple with offerings and to pray for things they need or want, but their attitude is different now."

Egeria's gaze took in the soaring columns, the many reliefs depicting images of her and other things that she had commanded to be put there. "I look at this now, and it makes me feel foolish. It was nothing but vanity, arrogance and pride that built this temple. The Goa'uld are not gods. You are correct about that, Daniel. We have no right to have temples, to demand others to worship us. I am tempted to have this thing torn down and something of greater use put in its place. But that, I fear, would not be wise. If the others learned of it, they would question why it was done, which could cause trouble."

She looked at him and smiled. "There is one thing, however, that makes me very glad that it is here. If it was not, you and I might never have met. You may have come to this world and then left without me ever knowing you exist." She took a step forward. "Come. I want to see more of the city before it grows too late."

They continued down that street, which took them in a westerly direction. Daniel couldn't help but think about the first time he walked this street, when it was cracked and broken, surrounded by the shattered remains of the buildings that now stood whole. And then he thought about the second time, when his mind was filled with wonder and the doubt that what he was seeing was real. How much had changed since that day.

The sun was getting quite low in the sky when they reached the west end of the city. Egeria looked out upon the fields that grew the crops to feed the citizens, the herds of animals that provided meat, milk, raw material for clothing, and other necessities. Those things, however, were not what she was thinking about most at that moment.

"Will you answer a question, Daniel? I swear to you that I will question you no further about it."

Daniel looked at her. Considering where they were, he could guess what her question might be. Whether or not he could answer truthfully would depend on exactly how she phrased it.

"If I can," he said, knowing that he might have to lie.

"You did not come through the Stargate that day you arrived. How you came here is out there somewhere."

Noting that it had not really been spoken as a question, Daniel truthfully replied, "Yes."

Egeria smiled and nodded slightly, happy that he had trusted her with that secret.

She gave a regretful sigh. "It grows late. We will have to hurry if we are to make it back before dark."

"So, let's not even try," Daniel responded. "Have you ever been out in the city at night?"

"No, I have not. I have always been in the palace by the time the sun went down."

"It's pretty at night, quieter. There is a restaurant that remains open late. It uses only candlelight for the outdoor tables. It is by the river, and, when the moon is out and in the right position, it shines on the water."

"It sounds beautiful."

"Yeah, it is."

"Then we shall go there."

They did not hurry back through the city. As the other citizens went off to their homes, Daniel and Egeria walked leisurely down the emptying streets. The street lamps came on, illuminating their way.

By the time they reached the restaurant on the bank of the river, it was almost completely dark. Quite hungry, Egeria decided that they must eat there. When the restaurant owner recognized her, his eyes grew as large as humanly possible. He was stammering as he showed them to a table by the water. As they settled upon the cushions on the floor, the restauranteur began calling frantically to his staff to bring wine and things that would be called appetizers on Earth in the future. Not for the first time Daniel wondered from what planet the idea for this restaurant came. It was centuries ahead of its time here, yet was extremely popular, as evidenced by the other patrons – every one of which was gaping at them like landed fish. Oh, yes. This would be the talk of the town for days to come. With a smile, he said that to Egeria.

She laughed lightly. "Ah, if only I were truly a god, all-knowing and all-seeing. How amusing it would be to hear everyone chatter about this." Her smile grew mischievous. "But let us give them even more about which they will talk." She called to her Jaffa, who were standing guard a few yards away, and told them to come join her and Daniel. For several seconds, the men were too stunned to move, then they hesitantly came over and sat on the cushions.

Dinner that night was probably among the most unusual and interesting ones Daniel had ever had, which was really saying something considering how many places on Earth and in the galaxy he'd dined. But then, never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined sitting at a candlelit table with two very bemused Jaffa and a Goa'uld queen who had renounced all the ways of her race. Oh, if only Jack could see this.

After dinner, Egeria decided that she wanted to walk down to the river. The moon was just coming out and was casting a glowing trail upon the water. As she gazed at the sight, Egeria felt utterly content and at peace for the first time in her life.

"Thank you, Daniel," she said to her companion.

"For what?"

"For this day, for enabling me to feel not like a Goa'uld or a queen, but like an ordinary human, someone who can walk through a city without a care, eat dinner at a restaurant surrounded by dozens of other patrons, and stand here looking at a river by moonlight. It . . . can be very lonely being what I am, who I am, having to hold myself above everyone else at all times, keeping an appropriate distance between me and my subjects. Today, for these few hours, I could pretend that I was not Queen Egeria. It was a good feeling."

Daniel looked at her. "It doesn't have to be the only time, Egeria. You could do this again. None of your laws say that you must keep yourself isolated from your citizens. And, unlike many human rulers, you don't have to worry about being assassinated. It is not unprecedented for a ruler to go for a stroll among his or her people."

Egeria's gaze turned to him. "And what of a ruler who is also considered by her people to be a god?"

"Well, okay, so there aren't so many examples of that, but I could probably name a few. Egypt's history has more than one. The point I'm making, Egeria, is that I do not believe your people will think less of you if you leave your palace on occasion and walk among them. And what if it _does_ alter their perception of you? You talked about tearing down that temple because you are not a god. So, then banish that image of you as a god a little more by involving yourself more with your citizens, by doing things that ordinary people do. It's harder to think of someone as a god if they're sitting at your table, eating with you and talking about the weather."

A small smile came to Egeria's lips. "You are so wise, my Daniel."

"Not hardly. I'm just stating a fact."

"All the same, your counsel is sound and wise. I will not let this be the only time I do such a thing."

"Good. I'm glad."

"But, now, I fear, it is time for us to retire to our beds. Morning will not delay its arrival just for us."

Turning away from the river, the archeologist and the queen began the trek back to the palace, a smile on both of their lips.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The next morning, a servant knocked on Daniel's door and told him that Egeria had invited him to breakfast in the sitting room. When he got there, he received a pleasant surprise; it was not Egeria who greeted him, but Arria.

"Egeria said that if she is truly rejecting the ways of the Goa'uld and is considering giving birth to children who will share control with their hosts, then she must not be a hypocrite by insisting on remaining in control," the Etruscan woman explained with a wide smile. "We talked and agreed that it would be best for her to be in control most of the time when we are around others, at least until I can learn to act more like her," the woman blushed a little, "and can learn not to talk so much."

Daniel smiled slightly. "Do you think you will succeed on that second thing?"

"I will try my very best."

Apparently, learning not to talk so much didn't apply to when the conversation was with him. Arria chattered away throughout the meal. Daniel mostly just listened, knowing how much she needed this. After hundreds of years of silence, she had finally been given back her voice.

The conversation continued after the meal was finished. Though he hated to stop it, there was an unfinished matter that needed to be discussed, one that really couldn't be put off any longer.

"Arria, there is something I must talk to Egeria about. It's important. I'm sorry."

The woman's smile faltered. "Oh." The smile then returned. "But we will have many other times to talk in the future."

Daniel nodded. "Yes, we will." He watched as Egeria resumed control.

"You wish to talk of the matter that we did not finish yesterday," she guessed.

"Yes. It's about the sarcophagus. I know what one will do to someone if they use it when they are not sick or injured. I know that it will corrupt their . . . their souls, gradually leach all the good out of them."

"How do you know this?" Egeria asked, seeing a look of shame and pain in his eyes.

"Because I have experienced it. Two years ago, I was tricked into using a sarcophagus when I wasn't sick or injured. It turned me into someone that I didn't even recognize, somebody who almost allowed his friends to die a slow death inside a Naquadah mine while he was treated like a king. I became completely addicted to it. All that mattered to me was it, the next time I could use it. Fortunately, I was . . . saved from it, but the withdrawal from the addiction was the most agonizing thing I have ever gone through."

Egeria laid a hand on Daniel's arm. "I am so sorry that you suffered through that, Daniel."

"From what I have learned, the sarcophagus affects Goa'uld as well, though they do not become addicted like I did. My people believe that using the sarcophagus regularly is the other reason why the Goa'uld are so evil."

"Ah. And you wish to know why I appear to be unaffected."

"The question did cross my mind."

Egeria got to her feet and went to the window, unable to look upon his face as she spoke. "The first time I used a sarcophagus, I did not notice any change in me. In fact, it appeared to be quite some time before there was any negative effects, although I believe the truth is that I simply failed to see it until it became too obvious to ignore. My words to servants became more harsh. I had less patience with them. I know that they noticed the difference, but they feared to say anything." Her eyes closed for a moment. "And then, one day, something terrible happened. I am unsure how many times I had used the sarcophagus by then, though I know that it had been many, many times. A young servant accidentally spilled some wine upon me. My anger made me physically strike out at her. I only meant to bruise her, to teach her to be more careful, but she struck her head and died. As I looked down upon the body of that beautiful young girl who had done no more than accidentally spill some wine, I realized in horror what I was becoming."

Daniel was appalled by the story. He felt so sorry for Egeria. Though his teammates had suffered because of what the sarcophagus did to him, he didn't cause the death of anyone. If he had, he'd never have gotten over the guilt.

"I had the girl taken to the sarcophagus and healed, but it did not change what I had done," Egeria said. "I had heard about what a sarcophagus would do to a human who was not ill or injured, and I guessed that it was to blame for the changes in me. I stopped using it for a while and found that the effects gradually faded, which confirmed my suspicion. This left me with a decision to make. I could choose to continue not using one and retain my . . . my soul, but then my life span would be a fraction of what it would be if I did use it, and I would have to change hosts frequently because they would age." Egeria turned to face him. "In the end, I decided that I could not allow myself to descend into evil."

A frown creased Daniel's forehead. "I don't understand. You seem to be implying that you don't use a sarcophagus to stay young, but you've been in Arria for several hundred years. I know that a human host won't live that long without a sarcophagus, so how do you keep her from aging?"

"Ah, but you see, I _do_ use the sarcophagus for that. For years, I studied the technology and effects, trying to learn everything I could about why it affected an individual as it did. There was a Goa'uld who, sadly, was conducting human experiments, subjecting people to repeated exposure to a sarcophagus to see how they were affected. He tested various things to see if he could alter the side effects, slow or even halt them. Many of his tests resulted in the death of the test subject or in them descending hopelessly into madness. I was sickened by what he was doing, but it did eventually have some measure of success."

Daniel was shocked. Did the Tok'ra know about this?

"He developed a drug that, when injected into someone before using a sarcophagus, would eliminate the negative effects. But there was a problem. The drug caused a serious ailment that resulted in severe pain and death, an ailment that the sarcophagus could not be used to cure."

"Ummm . . . yeah, I'd definitely call that a problem."

"There was only one way to prevent death. It was absolutely vital for the person to spend a certain amount of time out in the sunlight each day, more on overcast days than on sunny ones. The scientist tried various means to simulate the effects of sunlight, but nothing ever worked as well. Did you ever wonder why it is that I spend so much time out in the gardens? It is not merely because I wish to do so. It is to keep me alive."

Daniel was starting to get the picture. The Tok'ra spent a huge part of their lives in underground tunnels. Getting "some rays" every day would be pretty difficult. He had to wonder if the answer was something as simple as certain vitamins. He knew that being exposed to sunlight caused the body to produce Vitamin D. Or it could be that what the sunlight did was affect the way the drug worked inside the body.

"Unfortunately, even with the required dosages of sunlight, there is always a certain measure of pain present," Egeria said.

Daniel was dismayed. "Egeria, are you saying that you live with unending pain every day of your life?"

"Some. I am able to ease it significantly through my natural abilities to deaden pain in mine and my host's body. Without that, the pain would be quite severe."

"I had no idea. You've never given any clue at all that you were in pain."

"After all these centuries, Daniel, I have grown accustomed to it. So has Arria, as did my previous host."

"Wait a minute. Your natural abilities to deaden pain in your host's body and yours?"

"The pain is not just in the body of the host, but in mine as well. In order for the drug to work fully, it must be injected twice each time, once into the host and once into the symbiote."

Daniel was deeply affected by what Egeria had told him. Every day of her life, she endured unending pain and lived under the constant threat of death to prevent the corrupting effects of the sarcophagus.

"Is it worth it?" he asked.

"There have been times when I have asked that same question," Egeria admitted. "But the desire to live is strong. I am not yet ready to face death."

Daniel knew that a day would come when Egeria would no longer use the sarcophagus. He wasn't sure when it would happen. The Tok'ra history didn't say. It could be after she began spawning the Tok'ra or it could be when she went on the run after her failed attempt to stop humans from being taken from Earth. He also knew that, if Sam's memories from Jolinar were correct, Egeria's Tok'ra children _never_ used the sarcophagus, not even before they embarked upon the life they presently had.

"So, what do you do about this when you're on a ship?" he asked.

"I have a device that simulates sunlight. It is enough to sustain me for two days, three at the most, although the pain will increase during that time. After that, I must have the ship stop at a planet so that I can be out in the sun." She smiled fleetingly. "I usually take the opportunity to gather interesting flowers and plants for my gardens." Her humor faded. "For this reason, I try to avoid long journeys by ship. When I decided to go to the first world, I sent my ship ahead of me and rendezvoused with it on a planet as close to my destination as I could reach by Stargate."

"Did you ever see if there was a way that the drug could be perfected?"

"Whether or not it could be is something that will likely never be known. The scientist conducting the research was killed long ago. I obtained the formula from him, but there is no other Goa'uld scientist who has any interest in carrying on his research. The Goa'uld do not care that the sarcophagus makes them even more evil. But then, even if such a scientist could be found, I would not want the research to be resumed if more humans had to suffer and die."

So, Egeria was the only person who had the formula. That meant that it was probably lost when she died.

"Thank you for telling me this, Egeria," he said. He then paused, wondering if he should go ahead and broach the subject of him becoming a host. One of the obvious arguments against it would have been the need to use the sarcophagus if she wanted his life span to be more than just a couple of hundred years. Now that he knew about the drug, that argument would no longer hold much weight. Her reasoning would be that, if she could manage to do it, so could he. So, now, he had to come up with another reason to turn down her offer. Sure, he could simply say that he didn't want to do it, but would she accept that? He had a feeling that she wouldn't.

He got to his feet. "I should get to the library. I have been spending way too much time doing other things lately. I'm neglecting my work."

"Since I am mostly at fault for that, I forgive you," the Goa'uld queen said with a little sparkle in her eyes.

"Thanks."

As Daniel walked to the library, he knew that he was only delaying the talk that would eventually come. Egeria would not wait forever to get his answer about becoming a host.

One thing Daniel had avoided thinking about was what would happen if he could not get the time travel device to work again, What if he was stranded in this time for the rest of his life? There were places that he could probably go where his influence on history would be minimal. But what if he stayed here? What kind of impact would it really have on history? Of course, it would mean that some of the Tok'ra he met two thousand years from now would recognize him, but, if they were smart, they wouldn't let on. But if he _did_ stay, he knew that Egeria would probably keep trying to convince him to be a host.

Daniel thought about what the ramifications might be if he chose not to worry about altering history and did become a host to a Tok'ra. There was no doubt that it would give him a greater ability to do things that would really help, especially if he used the sarcophagus to extend his life. Knowing what Egeria's fate would eventually be, he could do something to prevent her death. If she did not die, she could continue spawning Tok'ra, building their numbers large enough that they would be a very serious threat to the Goa'uld, far more so than what they were in his time.

But how would that affect Earth's history? Chances are that Sam would never be taken as a host by Jolinar, and they might, therefore, never meet the Tok'ra. There would be several bad consequences from that, at least one being very bad indeed. First of all, Sam's father would not be saved. There would be no Earth/Tok'ra alliance. There was also the matter of Seth. Without the Tok'ra, his presence on Earth would never have been discovered, which might ultimately lead to something pretty bad. Possibly worst of all, the SGC would receive no aid when the Reetou came through to Earth, which could result in the deaths of thousands of people.

Sure, if he was still alive by then, Daniel could make sure that Earth and the Tok'ra did meet and that all the things that should happen did come to pass, but there was certainly no guarantee that he'd survive the next two thousand years. What if, after causing radical changes to the timeline, he died before making sure that some of the most important events of Earth's future happened?

No, it would be far too dangerous to meddle with history to that extent. He could not do anything that might prevent Earth from meeting the Tok'ra and allying with them. As much good as he might be able to do if he became a host and extended his life span with the sarcophagus, it wouldn't make up for the bad things that could happen.

* * *

The garden entryway was complete. Daniel was surprised when he received word of it. He hadn't expected it to be finished so soon. Feeling a measure of excitement, he went to the west garden. When he got there, he saw that workers were now busily constructing the walls that would come off either side of the arch he designed. Those walls would curve inward to meet the palace. After that, the flowers would be planted in the small, separate garden that the half-circle of the walls would form. Also planted at that time would be the vines that would someday cover the walls with their brilliant blue flowers.

Happy with how well his brainchild had turned out, Daniel cast his gaze upward to the top. That's when a frown came to his face. The statue of Egeria as he had imagined it was there, but so was something else. On either end was the figure of a man on one knee, looking back over his shoulder toward Egeria. The pose was rather heroic, spine and shoulders straight, broad chest held proudly. One hand rested on the bent leg, and the other hung at the man's side, clutching what looked like a scroll. He was wearing a tunic, but it was in the style of the exomie, the Greek chiton when it was worn leaving one shoulder bare.

Wondering why the two statues had been added, Daniel focused his gaze upon the face of one of them. That's when his jaw metaphorically hit the floor. Oh, no. She didn't!

"Are you pleased with your creation now that it is complete?"

Daniel jumped a mile and spun around to see Egeria smiling at him.

"I cannot believe you did that!" he cried.

"Did what, my Daniel?" she asked innocently.

He pointed at one of the male statues. "That!"

Egeria looked up at it, cocking her head slightly to the side. "Yes, I think the sculptor did a wonderful job, especially considering how little time he had to do them."

"Egeria, it's me! Or at least the face is. The body is definitely not mine, though I wouldn't mind if it was."

The Goa'uld queen ran her gaze over his body. "From what I can see, the artist only took a few liberties in regards to the musculature."

Daniel didn't care to argue about how much bigger the muscles of the twin statues were compared to his. It didn't matter. What _did_ matter was that there were now two statues of him sitting right there for all to see.

"Egeria, as much as I know I should be flattered that you did that, you really shouldn't have done that. It's . . . it's . . . it's . . . well, among other things, it's embarrassing."

Egeria laughed in delight. "Oh, my Daniel. I do believe that you are the only man on this entire planet who would look upon having himself immortalized in stone as embarrassing. Most men would be bursting with pride and vanity."

"Yeah, well, I'm not them," Daniel muttered.

"I am sure your embarrassment will dissipate," she told him in amusement.

"And what about what everyone is going to think when they see it? You know that they'll talk."

"If that does not concern me, then it should not concern you. Put your mind at ease, Daniel. All will be well."

Daniel fell into dissatisfied silence. He couldn't tell Egeria the thing that bothered him the most: how this might affect the future. He knew that the Tok'ra would have lived for at least a while on this world before going out into the galaxy. This meant that, in the new version of history, they were going to see those statues with his face. For most of them, it wouldn't matter since they'd never meet him, but what about Tok'ra like Selmak, Per'sus, Garshaw and others he had met? All he could hope was that in the millennia that would pass between them leaving this world and meeting him, they'd all have forgotten what these statues looked like.

"Answer me one question," he said. "How did the sculptor know what my face looked like? I sure didn't pose for anyone."

"I recorded your image during one of our talks in the sitting room."

Daniel stared at her through narrowed eyes. "I am seeing a whole new side of you, a devious, sneaky side."

Egeria smiled in amusement. "Deviousness is a character trait of all Goa'uld."

"Yeah, you got that right. So what happened to all that stuff about rejecting all the ways of the Goa'uld?"

"Ah, but the images of you had already been recorded by then. And you certainly cannot expect me to be noble and upright _all_ of the time, can you?"

Daniel kept staring at her. Okay, she was definitely laughing at him now. She was getting a real kick out of this. He grumbled silently for a moment. Aloud, he then said, "Well, now that I've received my quota of personal embarrassment for the day, I'm going to go back to the library, if you don't mind."

Egeria chuckled low in her throat. "You have my permission to depart."

Decimus could tell that Daniel was not a happy camper when he got there.

"Has something transpired?" the elderly man asked.

"When you get a chance, go to the west garden. The entryway is finished."

Decimus frowned. "And this displeases you?"

Daniel lips turned up in a fake smile. "Egeria took the liberty of making an addition to it. Look on the top. You'll know what I'm talking about."

Curiosity got the better of Decimus when he went to get lunch, and he decided to make a detour to the garden. As soon as he saw what decorated the top of the stone arch, he knew what had Daniel in a foul mood. He chuckled, shaking his head.

After returning to the library, the man just had to get in some teasing.

"I must say that your pose is quite heroic," he remarked, fighting back a smile. "I can easily picture a sword in your hand rather than a scroll."

"It's not my pose. I didn't pose for anything! That was probably Egeria's idea. I knew she had a sense of humor, but I never saw the sadistic side of it before. I am just waiting for the jokes and not so amusing comments to start making their way through the palace. It's going to be weeks before I hear the end of this."

Just then, Titus came running in. "Daniel! There are mighty statues of you on the new arch in the west garden!"

With a groan, Daniel lowered his head into his hands, wondering if he could figure out a way to take a very long leave of absence on the opposite side of the planet.

* * *

Daniel's dread about the reaction to the statues proved to be unfounded. Once everyone learned that it was Egeria who commissioned the work, they were wise enough to keep their mouths shut, not wanting to anger their queen. There was, no doubt, plenty of talk in private, but Daniel never heard any of it.

For the archeologist, that was a good thing. An even better thing was that he'd been successfully managing to avoid the issue of him becoming a host a lot longer than he'd have thought he would. He knew it couldn't last forever, but at least this was giving him plenty of time to decide what he was going to tell her and how he would say it. It had also enabled him to think up some arguments to persuade her to create more than just a handful of Tok'ra.

The issue ended up being resurfaced eight days after the completion of the entryway. While translating a scroll in the north garden, he was joined by Egeria.

"I see that you are hard at work," she said.

"Yes, I'm trying to keep my attention focused on the work I'm supposed to be doing here. If I was getting paid for this, I'd probably have been fired by now, what with all the time I've missed."

Egeria smiled. "Ah, but as your employer, dear Daniel, I would never dream of firing you."

"Yes, but you're biased." He smiled to let her know that he was teasing.

Egeria's expression became serious. "I have been thinking about the matter of spawning symbiotes without the Goa'uld knowledge. After some small struggle, I was able to lower my brainwaves to a level that I believe is sufficient to prevent the knowledge from being passed on."

"That's good news." Daniel set aside the scroll. "Have you thought about what I said, about spawning large numbers of those symbiotes?"

"I have, Daniel, but I am sorry; I cannot do such a thing. There would be too many risks. Large numbers could not be hidden from the Goa'uld. They would find out and seek to put a stop to it."

Daniel was afraid that would be her answer.

"Egeria, you've told me that you are rejecting all the ways of the Goa'uld," he said. "That is a great thing. I can't tell you how important it is that you've taken that step. But I'd like you to think about something."

"What is that?"

"Every day, the Goa'uld are killing and enslaving humans, destroying whole civilizations. I know you think about that, and I know it bothers you."

"Yes, it bothers me. I despise what the Goa'uld do."

"So, why not do something about it? Egeria, you have the power to create symbiotes that can fight against the Goa'uld, that can work to bring them down. Maybe five or six symbiotes inside the right hosts could do a little bit of good out there in the galaxy, but think about what five or six thousand could do, the things they could accomplish."

Egeria frowned. "Daniel, you are asking me to wage war against my own species, to sacrifice all that I have here. That is too much to ask. If it was your world, your people that you would be risking, could you do it?"

Looking into her eyes, Daniel realized that all the arguments he'd formulated were not going to work, not as long as Egeria was more focused on the welfare of her own domain than the good of the galaxy as a whole.

So what now? He could back off and let this resolve itself, let Egeria eventually make the decision on her own to create the Tok'ra race. The problem was that there was no longer any guarantee that it would happen. By guiding Egeria toward making all these decisions earlier in history than she would have without his interference, there was no telling how he'd affected future events. It was possible that whatever it was that made Egeria decide to fight against the Goa'uld would never happen or that, if it _did_ happen, her reaction would be different and she'd decide, instead, to play it safe. There was no way to know for sure.

To make sure that the Tok'ra race came to be, he had to finish this. He had to go all the way. Nothing could be left up to chance. The problem was that there was only one thing he could think of that would have a prayer of changing Egeria's mind – something that would be extremely risky.

Hoping that he wasn't making a terrible mistake, Daniel said. "My world _is_ at risk, Egeria. We _are_ doing what I'm asking you to do."

"Daniel, what are you saying?"

He looked straight into her eyes. "What I'm going to tell you is something that will put not just my life, but also the lives of every human being on my planet in your hands."

"I would never betray you, my Daniel. _Never_," the Goa'uld queen told him with intense conviction.

"I know you wouldn't." He took a deep breath. "I am part of an effort to destroy the Goa'uld and end their enslavement of humanity."

Egeria was shocked by the announcement. This kind and gentle man sitting before her was actually a warrior in a fight against the race that she had rejected.

"We have had some successes and made a few allies among members of other races," he said, "but there is still a very long way to go." Daniel paused. "It must be made in secret, and I know that it will not be completed in my lifetime, nor, very likely, in the lifetime of any children I may have."

That last bit had been said out of necessity. Egeria had to believe that this thing Daniel was part of was an underground effort, something very long-term, like the plans of the Tok'ra were. In that way, she would never wonder why it was that she saw no evidence of it.

"I cannot express the level of my surprise," Egeria said. She looked at him with new eyes. "You are, in truth, far more than you appeared to be when I first laid eyes upon you. I saw, even then, a glimpse of your courage and strength, but I could not have imagined that you were a warrior in such a battle. Now, so many things about you make sense to me, the knowledge you have, things you can do." She smiled. "I feel great pride in you, my Daniel."

Daniel looked away from her for a moment. "Thank you, although I'm only one small part of the fight, a lone individual who has little importance."

Though Egeria said nothing, she suspected that Daniel's words were not true, that he was far more important than he believed himself to be.

The archeologist returned his gaze to her. "Egeria, this fight we're waging is against an enemy that is so much more powerful than we are. Many of us have already died, and we've barely begun this . . . this war. A lot of people would say that it's hopeless, that we can't hope to win. But we can't give up. Too much is at stake. If we lose, my whole planet will pay the price. More than that, all of humanity will pay. So please understand that, when you say that you can't risk your domain, I think about what my people risk every day."

Daniel's words made Egeria feel ashamed. She worried about risking her kingdom, yet he and his people were bravely doing so with their entire civilization, risking everything in an effort to free their fellow humans from slavery.

"When I asked you to create thousands of symbiotes that could work against the Goa'uld, I wasn't asking you to launch a full-scale war, Egeria," Daniel told her. "That would be foolhardy. But there are other ways that they could fight. They could work covertly, through infiltration and deception, learning Goa'uld secrets and other things that could be used against them. It would not be quick; it would probably take centuries, but, in time, if done correctly, it could severely weaken the power of the Goa'uld."

Egeria thought about what Daniel was suggesting and found herself growing excited. This might actually be possible. It would not be easy. Many of them would probably lose their lives. But a day might come when her children would succeed in helping to bring about the downfall of the Goa'uld.

"We could be allies," she said, "your people and my children."

"Maybe someday, if things worked out that way. But, Egeria, you have to promise me that you will never say a word about my people to anyone, including the children you create for your own fight against the Goa'uld. If through you or them the Goa'uld learned about us, it would be the end of us. When the time is right, we will come to you."

Egeria recognized the wisdom in his words. "I swear that I will never tell a soul what you have revealed to me, Daniel."

"Thank you."

At that moment, a couple of servants, a man and woman, strolled out into the garden. Seeing the queen, they apologized and made a move to go back inside.

"No," she said. "Please do not let my presence prevent you from what you were doing."

The pair paused for a moment, then continued to the small, oak-like tree and sat beneath it.

Egeria smiled slightly. "I believe that they are lovers. I have seen the signs for a few weeks now. One of these days, I must speak with them and tell them that they do not have to hide their relationship from me." She turned back to her companion. "Thank you for trusting me with this secret, Daniel. Your trust is very precious to me." She rose from the bench. "I will allow you to return to your work now. I must go into the east garden for some sunlight."

Daniel's gaze sharpened. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked in a low voice.

"Yes, I am well. We will talk again another time."

Daniel watched her leave. He had found himself worrying about her ever since she revealed her physical condition to him. Yes, she had been handling this on her own for some two thousand years now, but he still wished that there was something he could do to help.

Knowing that wasn't possible, Daniel sighed and got back to work.

* * *

Egeria turned her face to the sky and closed her eyes, letting the life-giving rays of the sun soak into her skin. As she basked in the warmth, a warmth that had been cooling more each day as this year's long summer finally gave way to fall, Egeria thought about what Daniel had revealed to her. It was no wonder that he was so filled with fear to answer her question about how he knew the secrets of the sarcophagus. He was protecting his whole world.

Knowing what she did now, the trust that Daniel had gradually come to feel in her was even more extraordinary. When they met, she was the enemy, a member of the race against which he was in a secret war. And yet he had become her friend. How many would do the same?

_'Each time that I think I could not have more admiration and respect for him, I find that I was mistaken,'_ she said to Arria.

_'He is, indeed, unlike anyone else we could ever meet. He would be worthy of ruling Estrania at your side.'_

_'Yes, he would, but it is clear that he has a far more important calling than that.'_

_'Then you are not going to ask again that he consider being a host?'_

_'No, I will still ask, but it will be because I think that being a host would be of great benefit to the efforts of his people. Whether or not he remains here with us is not what is important now. I must stop thinking first of what I want, of what is beneficial to me. There are more important things to consider.'_

Arria felt a hint of trepidation. _'Are you thinking of releasing him from slavery and letting him leave?'_

Egeria felt a little jolt of pain go through her heart.

_'I . . . I do not know. Just the thought of it gives me great pain. And, now, I think about the danger he will be in once he leaves. As long as he is here, he is safe. If I can convince him to be a host, it will help protect his life since the symbiote inside him will be able to heal injuries that might otherwise prove fatal.'_

_'But do Goa'uld larvae not need years to mature?'_

_'Yes. There would be a period of time when Daniel would continue without that protection. That could not be avoided.'_

There was a brief moment of silence. _'I have an idea.'_

Egeria smiled. _'And what is this idea of yours?'_

_'The children you create will need to be taught many things, to be good and honorable, to put the welfare of others above their own. What better teacher for such things could there be than Daniel?'_

_'You are right. No better teacher for that could there be than him.'_

_'And he could also teach them languages and other things he has learned. Between your teachings and his, they would have all they need to become fine and great warriors against the Goa'uld.'_

_'All these things are true, Arria, and, once I taught them the Goa'uld language so that they could understand his words, it would be possible, but Daniel has made it clear that my children must not be told about what his people are doing.'_

_'He would not need to tell them. They would not have to know.'_

Egeria frowned internally. _ 'You are suggesting that I ask him not to return to the fight, to stay here instead and help train my children for their own fight.'_

_'No, not all the time. He could spend just part of his time here.'_

The queen thought about what she was suggesting. The idea was definitely appealing. It would mean that she would not have to say goodbye to him forever. And the arrangement would be mutually beneficial for Daniel's people and her children.

_'I will talk to him about it. That is all I can do.'_

There was a much longer moment of silence. This time, it was Egeria who broke it.

_'I am thinking of the spawning. These ones to which I will give birth, they will be special. It feels wrong that it will be some man I do not know who will give the code of life. It should be someone worthy of that honor.'_ She paused. _'It should be Daniel.'_

_'Yes, it should. But I am unsure if he would agree. His heart still belongs to his wife.'_

Though the thing Egeria wanted more than anything was for Daniel to love her and for them to make love while sharing that emotion, she had to accept that such a thing might never be possible. Again, she needed to put her own desires in second place. If Daniel agreed to be the one to give the code of life, it would be more important than just the transitory pleasure of making love with him. He would be helping to create something that could change the fate of the galaxy.

Though she knew that it did not work that way, Egeria could not help but feel that, if it was Daniel's code of life that was used, something of his strength, courage, intelligence and goodness would be transferred into her children.

The queen shared her thoughts with her host.

_'You must ask him, Egeria,'_ Arria insisted.

_'Yes. I will ask him tonight.'_

_

* * *

_The story is building toward some pretty major events, so you'd better start bracing yourselves, everyone. :-D


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Daniel was more than a little surprised when Camilla knocked on his door and told him that Egeria was requesting his presence in her private chambers. Her private chambers? This was the first time that she had asked him to meet her there. Did she have something to tell him that needed the utmost privacy, something that could not be interrupted?

Wondering what this could be about, Daniel followed the Lo'taur to an area of the palace into which he had never ventured. He asked her what was there, and she explained that all the rooms were part of Egeria's personal quarters, serving various purposes. The only exception was the room that belonged to Camilla, which was close enough for her to respond quickly to a call from Egeria, but far enough away not to intrude upon the queen's privacy.

They stopped at one of the doors, and Camilla knocked. A barely audible voice bid them to enter. The room, which was empty, turned out to be a small, intimate lounge, decorated with carpets and richly upholstered furniture. It was, however, the items of art that caught Daniel's attention.

Left alone in the room, the archeologist went to a display of vases and statuary that he recognized as belonging to various cultures of ancient Earth: Egypt, Rome, Greece, the Minoan civilization, and many others, every one in perfect condition. It was a priceless collection, one for which many museums would just about sell their collective souls.

"Do you like my personal treasures?"

Daniel turned and saw that Egeria had just entered through a door on the left wall. Glancing through the open door, the archeologist spied a very large bed in the room beyond.

Just then, he took more note of Egeria's appearance. She was wearing a loose-fitting gown that flowed around her body like a cloud. Her long black hair was down, falling to her waist.

"Um . . . yes," he replied, suddenly feeling just a little bit nervous. "You have some exquisite pieces here."

Egeria walked over to a settee and sat gracefully upon it. She rested her hand on the cushion beside her. "Come sit, Daniel. There is something about which I must speak to you."

Though it was not the first time that Daniel had shared the same piece of furniture with her, this time, as he took a seat, he was wishing that he could keep some distance between them. There was something different about her body language, something more . . . intimate.

"My thoughts this day have been greatly upon the birth of the many symbiotes who will have none of the Goa'uld knowledge. There were a great many things to plan."

Daniel smiled. "Then you _are_ going to do it? I wasn't completely sure you were."

"Yes, my Daniel. When you told me of the courage and sacrifices of your people, then explained how my children could also help to bring down the Goa'uld, how could I say no?"

"That's fantastic! I am so glad that you decided to do it."

"Of course, there will be problems to overcome. One of those is how I will teach them what they need to know. Without the Goa'uld knowledge, they will be much like newborn human infants, needing to learn everything except for the instincts that will be born within them. Most of a larva's life is normally spent within the pouch of a Jaffa. But there would be no way to teach them if these larvae were within Jaffa. Therefore, for all but one of those years, they will spend some of their life outside of the pouch, in a pool where I can communicate with them, teach them all I can. When I am not teaching them, they will be within Jaffa. During the first year, they will be in the pool all the time as I do the most basic and important of teaching."

"How will that work exactly? A Jaffa can't survive for more than a couple of hours without a larva."

"When a child of mine is not within a Jaffa, another larva will be, the one the Jaffa had before he was chosen to be the caretaker of one of my offspring. When it is my child that is in him, then the other larva will be inside a tank that will keep it alive. There is some risk in this. Some of the symbiotes may die."

"And what about when the regular symbiotes mature?"

Egeria's expression hardened. "They will be killed. I will not allow them to enslave human hosts. Not only would it be wrong of me to do so, it would also be too dangerous. They would know about what was transpiring here."

"It sounds like a good plan. I know that you'll succeed, Egeria. But what's going to happen if you're asked to spawn larvae for the Goa'uld?"

"That is something I will have to decide upon. My conscience would trouble me greatly if I were to create more larvae corrupted with the Goa'uld knowledge, but if I refused to spawn, the Goa'uld would immediately know that something was wrong."

"And you sure couldn't spawn ones without the knowledge and give them to the Goa'uld. Sooner or later, they'd discover that something was wrong with them."

"Correct. Fortunately, it will likely be quite some time before I am called upon again." Her expression softened. "There is something else about which I have given much thought. You know about the code of life from a human male that is used to help create larvae. I am assuming you understand its purpose."

Daniel nodded. "It's used to prevent the natural defenses of a host's body from rejecting the symbiote, attacking it as if it's an invader."

"Yes. This is an important thing, vital in assuring the survival of the symbiote. For all larvae I have spawned in the past, a man was select by my First Prime from some outlying village on Estrania. No man was ever chosen twice. I knew none of these men. They were all strangers to me. That is how I wished it to be. But I do not want it to be that way this time. These children to which I will give birth will be special, ones who will embark upon a campaign to defeat the Goa'uld. For them, I do not want some stranger's code of life." Her eyes gazed deeply into Daniel's. "There is, in truth, only one man I believe would be worthy of it this time, and that is you, my Daniel." She caressed his face with her fingertips. "I would ask that you lay with me this night and give to me your seed. I promise that it will be very pleasurable."

Without warning, a violent flashback blazed into Daniel's mind of another Goa'uld queen as she removed his glasses and ran her hands through his hair, uttering in a sensual tone, "We do so enjoy the method of procuring the code in your species. It is much more pleasurable than most."

With a choked gasp, Daniel sprang off the settee and fled to the opposite side of the room. Chest heaving, he cried, "No! I-I-I can't! Please don't ask me to do that."

Shocked by his violent reaction, Egeria stared at him, seeing the tension in his body, the way he had his arms wrapped around himself, as if in protection. She didn't understand. Why was he acting this way, like the mere thought horrified him? Was it that he could not bear to be intimate with her?

A spark of anger lit within Egeria, fueled by hurt feelings. "Do you, then, find the mere idea of laying with me repulsive?" she asked. She stood up. "Is it my body that repulses you or the knowledge of what I am?"

"No, you don't . . . you don't understand." Daniel turned away and closed his eyes, fighting a losing battle to keep the memories of Hathor at bay.

Egeria had seen the expression on his face, the haunted, tormented look in his eyes. Her anger quickly vanished, replaced by concern and the need to know why Daniel was reacting this way. She slowly walked up to him and laid a hand on his arm. He flinched at the touch.

"Please don't," he pleaded in a whisper.

Egeria was dismayed to realize that he was afraid, afraid of _her_. "I will not harm you, my Daniel. I would die first. Please tell me why you are afraid."

For several long seconds, Daniel did not respond. He took a deep breath. "You're . . . you're not the first Goa'uld queen I've met," he said in a low voice. "Three years ago, I met another one: Hathor."

Egeria's expression darkened. She despised Hathor and would be quite happy to see her dead.

"She, um . . . she wanted to create more Goa'uld, and she picked me to . . . help." Daniel closed his eyes tightly against the memories. "I didn't want to, but she used that . . . that pheromone drug of hers, and I-I couldn't stop her. I had no power to resist. Afterwards, I felt so . . . so dirty and violated. I was still married at the time, and I felt like I'd betrayed my wife." His voice dropped back to a whisper. "I know you're not like Hathor, but when I think about. . . ." He stopped, unable to continue.

Egeria was shocked and horrified by what she had just learned. For Hathor to have done what she did, take an unwilling man and force him to mate with her through the use of her power, sickened Egeria. It filled her with pure, murderous rage that Hathor had harmed Daniel in such a way. If the woman was standing before her at this moment, she would choke the life out of her. Egeria could feel the ache in her hands to be wrapped around the Goa'uld queen's throat.

Reining in her anger, Egeria turned all her attention upon Daniel. "Oh, my Daniel," she murmured in a distressed voice. "It grieves me so deeply that she did that to you. I would kill her for it, if I could. Please believe me that I would never do such a thing. I would never force any man to give me the code."

Daniel at last looked at her. She cupped his cheek and smiled at him gently.

"Go now. You need rest," she said. "I will not ask you again to do this for me. I will choose another."

Daniel released the tension in his body. "Thank you." He left and walked as fast as he was able to his room. Once inside, he shut the door and all but collapsed against it, eyes tightly closed. He was appalled and ashamed of how he reacted to Egeria's request. He had thought that, after all these years, he'd fully recovered from what Hathor did to him, but, apparently, he'd been wrong. When Egeria spoke that word, the word Hathor used as she prepared to undress him, he'd suddenly found himself flung headlong back into that VIP room, Hathor's face close to his, her warm, pheromone-laced breath upon his lips, taking away his will to fight. It all came pouring back into his mind, her laying him on the bed, the brief struggle he put up as his mind tried desperately to overcome the drug only to be hopelessly overwhelmed by yet another dose, her body coming down upon him as a voice deep inside him cried out in horror and shame.

"God," Daniel choked out. He pushed away from the door and began to pace, trying in desperation to fill his mind with other things, images to drown out those from one of the most emotionally traumatic events of his life.

After what seemed like an eternity, the storm of memories quieted. Daniel sank upon the bed. He needed to apologize to Egeria, to make it clear that he knew she was nothing like Hathor. Now that he was thinking calmly and rationally, he recognized that her wanting only him to be the one to provide the DNA was an expression of respect and honor. She'd said that she deemed no other man worthy enough to help create the children that would have such an important future. Any man without Daniel's history regarding Goa'uld queens would be filled with pride over this. But even recognizing that, Daniel knew that he still couldn't do it. He wouldn't be able to divorce himself from the emotions that having sex with a Goa'uld queen in order to produce larvae would create. And that made him ashamed, because Egeria didn't deserve to be lumped into the same basket as Hathor.

Of course, then there was the matter of Sha're. His wife was dead. Having sex with another woman would not be betraying her now. In fact, he knew that she would want him to move on, to find love again. But his heart wasn't ready for that. It still ached too deeply for her. Though Egeria was not asking for his love, only his sperm, it didn't change the fact that making love to another woman was something he wasn't sure he could do.

What mattered most was that whether it was him who provided the DNA or some other man, the symbiotes would turn out the same. There was nothing special about his DNA that would make them better than they would be with some other guy's "code of life." Despite Egeria's comment that she believed him to be the only one worthy of doing this, the truth was that any healthy man's DNA would work perfectly fine. Therefore, there really was no reason why he had to be the one to do it, and if there was no reason for it, then he didn't see a need to even consider it.

* * *

Daniel tiredly closed his eyes. He had not slept well last night, nightmares of Hathor haunting his sleep. He hadn't had a nightmare about her in years, but, obviously, this thing with Egeria had dug out all that stuff in his subconscious so that it could make a spectacular comeback. Oh, what joy.

The archeologist felt Decimus' eyes upon him. He knew that the elderly man sensed something was wrong, but, so far, his friend had remained silent. Titus was not there yet, it still being quite early. Daniel needed to shake this before the boy arrived.

He got to his feet. "I'm going to go get some air, clear my head. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

As he headed for the door, Decimus' voice stopped him.

"I am here to listen if you need to talk, Daniel."

Daniel looked at him, seeing the love of a friend in the man's eyes.

"I know you are, Decimus."

Daniel's steps took him to the west garden. It was now complete. He looked around at the area in which he now stood, the section one might call the entry garden. About forty feet wide and eighteen feet deep at its largest point, it was quite small compared to what lay on the other side of the arch and wall, but it was very beautiful and restful. Egeria had chosen a color scheme of blues, purples and lavenders, most likely to complement the vines that were small, rather spindly things now but would one day be lush and grand, if they took to Estrania's soil and weather.

A tree with a white, birch-like trunk and silvery leaves had been planted on the right side. The leaves hung down in delicate cascades, somewhat like a willow. Daniel could picture what it would look like once it was fully grown. On either side of the arch sat two beautifully crafted marble benches, looking as if they were just waiting for young lovers to come sit on them.

Deciding to stay there instead of going out into the larger garden beyond, Daniel sat on one of the benches. The scent of the vines' flowers filled his nostrils, and he drew in a deep breath, happy that there was not the slightest tickle in his nose to indicate an aversion to the blossoms.

Daniel's gaze wandered about some more. Looking in the left corner, which was in deep shadow, he saw something white. Curious, he went over to investigate. Nestled against a bush with little purple flowers that faded to lavender in their centers was a three-foot-high statue of a man. He was clearly a scholar, holding a book in one hand and a pen in the other. There was a look of gentle wisdom on his kind face.

Seeing that something was inscribed in the base of the statue, Daniel bent over to read it. He was surprised to see that it was written not in Goa'uld but in an ancient form of the Etruscan language, the language Arria would have learned as a child.

Carefully, Daniel translated the inscription. "To my dearest, most trusted friend."

Daniel stared at the words and the statue. There could be no doubt to whom the inscription was referring. Egeria had dedicated this garden to him. She really had meant it when she called it his garden.

Going back inside the palace, Daniel asked around and learned that Egeria was in the sitting room. He went there and knocked on the door. Upon hearing the queen say, "Enter," he went inside. He could see the surprise on her face when she saw him.

"Daniel." She got to her feet. "I did not believe I would see you today."

"Um . . . yeah. I want to apologize to you for what happened last night. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that reaction."

"Oh, Daniel. Please do not apologize. It is I who am sorry. I caused you pain and distress, something I would never want to do."

"You couldn't have known about what happened between me and Hathor."

Egeria resumed her seat. "Come sit down. Please."

This time, Daniel didn't feel any nervousness as he settled beside Egeria. She laid a hand on his cheek, sad eyes gazing into his.

"She wounded you so deeply," she murmured.

Daniel's gaze fell away from hers. "Yes, it hurt. Being forced to . . . to do that, it took a long time for me to get completely past it. My friends helped a lot. They were really there for me once they realized what Hathor had done to me. I eventually came to terms with it and put the whole ugly thing behind me." He expression turned rueful. "Or at least I thought I had until last night." He looked at her. "Egeria, please believe me when I say that how I reacted doesn't mean that I look upon your request as being anything like what Hathor did. That is so not true. I know that when you asked me to be the one to help you create those symbiotes, it was an expression of respect and honor. I recognize that, and I am flattered that you'd think I am the only one worthy of it. I want to make clear that my refusal has nothing to do with you personally. I most definitely do not find you repulsive. Just the opposite. You are a beautiful person, both inside and out. Any man would be lucky to have one such as you for a love."

Daniel's last sentence caused tears to prickle Egeria's eyes. "Oh, my beloved Daniel," she whispered.

Surprised by what she'd said, Daniel stared into her eyes and saw something he never had before. Or perhaps it was something he'd simply never allowed himself to see.

_'Oh my God.'_

Seeing the realization in his eyes, Egeria nodded. "Yes, my Daniel. It is true. What I feel for you is more than the love of a friend. From the moment I first laid eyes upon you, I could not drive you from my thoughts. I must confess something to you. When I made you a palace slave, it was for selfish reasons. I desired you, and I hoped that, in time, if you came to know me, you would feel the same. But then you won my heart with your kindness, and goodness, and gentle spirit. I came to love you as a friend. You became something dear and precious to me. Yet the desire remains. If you had agreed to lay with me last night, it would have been so much more to me than simply a way to get the code of life. It would have been the fulfillment of something I have dreamed about so many nights."

Stunned, Daniel just stared at her. Egeria, the future mother of the Tok'ra, was in love with him. This was _so_ not something he'd planned for.

"Egeria, I . . . I had no idea you felt this way."

"I know. That is as I intended. I did not wish for you to know since you do not return my love."

Her comment made him feel terrible. "Egeria, I am so sorry. You are such an incredible woman. If I had met you at some later time in my life, I think that I could have fallen in love with you."

Daniel's words lightened her spirit yet also saddened her. "But your heart still belongs to your wife. This I know." She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, wishing it could be more. "Go now. It is time for me to return to my duties and for you to return to yours."

Wishing there was something more he could say, Daniel left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

* * *

The days passed. Daniel saw very little of Egeria, only for a few minutes here and there. Sometimes, he wondered if she'd gotten the needed DNA from some other man and had bred the Tok'ra larvae, but he was pretty sure she'd have told him if she had.

He'd been thinking a lot about what he'd learned. When he decided to guide Egeria toward becoming a Tok'ra, never in a million years would he have considered that she might fall in love with him. Now that he knew, however, it cast a new light on quite a few things. He recalled that day when Egeria first asked him to come speak with her. At the time, because of the questions she'd asked, he had wondered if she was going to request that he provide DNA for a spawning cycle. He now wondered if that's exactly what she'd been planning to do and had changed her mind after learning that he had no desire to have sex with a woman besides his wife. He also thought of some of the other things she had said and done throughout these months. He probably should have seen the truth a long time ago, but he really had been totally oblivious to it.

Another thing he'd been thinking about was what would happen after the Tok'ra were born. A lot around here would change. The big changes would happen once they were blended with hosts. Would Egeria ask for volunteers from Estrania's inhabitants or go searching for men and women off-world whom she believed would be worthy of being hosts to her children? And what about afterwards, when there would suddenly be people here who aged much more slowly than normal, whose numbers grew by leaps and bounds as each successive batch of Tok'ra reached maturity? It wouldn't be easy procuring so many volunteers in so short a time, plus deal with all the curiosity and questions that Estrania's citizens would have, especially since the humans here had no idea what a Goa'uld really was.

The third thing that had been on Daniel's mind a lot was going home. Now that Egeria was going to spawn larvae without the genetic knowledge, the task he'd given to himself was complete. He'd done what he set out to do. Egeria was truly a Tok'ra now, only lacking the name to go with the identity. So how much longer would it be before she realized that keeping him a slave was contrary to what she had become? Could it be that she already knew that and was resisting freeing him because of her feelings for him? As much as she had changed, as much as she had rejected the ways of her species, could she be selfless enough to put aside what he knew she wanted and let him go? She must know that, when she set him free, he'd leave Estrania, and she might never see him again. A whole lot of people wouldn't be able to do something like that. Daniel wasn't sure what he was going to do if Egeria resisted letting him go. About the only thing he _could_ do was appeal to her sense of justice and what was morally right.

During these past few days, Daniel had been spending a lot of time working on the Furling language, knowing that it was especially important now that he learn as much as he could. His understanding of the language had expanded dramatically, though a lot of it was still based upon educated guesses and assumptions. There were still characters the meaning of which he did not know and sentences he couldn't fully translate because of it. He'd made complete copies of Decimus' work and returned the originals to the library. Those copies were now covered with notes and comments in English, scrawled across the pages as Daniel worked on deciphering each character.

If he had been able devote more hours to the task, Daniel figured that he'd have gotten a lot further along by now, but, by the time he finished his work in the library each day, he usually had no more than three hours to spend on it, and he couldn't do it every evening. Now, however, he was feeling the pressure to get as much learned as he could. Because of that, he'd been working on it late into the night, which resulted in the need for more pseudo-coffee the next day.

Six days after the talk in the sitting room during which Daniel learned of Egeria's feelings for him, the archeologist was struggling to stay awake. He'd stayed up way too late working on the Furling language the night before and was now paying the price. He really needed to go to bed at a decent time tonight.

As luck would have it, it turned out to be a long day at work for both him and Decimus because of an urgent translation that needed to be done. According to Daniel's watch, it was 9:45 p.m. when Decimus at last rose from his chair, his old bones creaking and popping.

"This old body of mine is telling me it is time for bed," he said.

Daniel got up as well, stifling a yawn. "Yeah, I should call it a night, too."

They both exited the room and walked side by side down the hall. At its end, they paused.

"Good night, then," Decimus said. "Sleep well."

"Thanks. You too."

The two men parted, going in opposite directions, the older of the two heading toward the sleeping quarters for the freemen. He was nearly there when he was surprised to see Egeria. She appeared to be wandering aimlessly, her expression far away. He was intending to leave her to her thoughts, but then she saw him.

"Good evening, Decimus. How are you this night?"

"Oh, well enough for one as antiquated as me."

The queen smiled fondly. "You are not antiquated, Decimus, merely well-aged, like fine wine."

The old man chuckled. "Kind words indeed, My Queen."

"Are you retiring for the night?"

"I am."

Egeria paused briefly. "Has Daniel done so as well?"

"Yes, we left the library at the same time."

"Good. He works late into the night far too often." She gave him a stern look. "But then, the same thing can also be said about a certain library keeper."

Decimus bowed his head in acceptance of her gentle rebuke. "Guilty, My Queen."

"Well, good night, then."

"Good night."

Egeria watched the old man leave. Her eyes then went off in the direction of the quarters for the slaves of high station. For six days now she had been delaying sending her First Prime out to find someone to provide the thing Daniel called DNA, six days during which she kept telling herself it needed to be done. But her heart was not in it. Just the mere thought of mating with a man who had no personal meaning to her repulsed her. It used to be that she could do so easily because she had looked upon it merely as a way to get the code of life, but she could look at it in that way no longer, not when her heart ached for only Daniel to be the one with whom she shared that intimacy.

Egeria had heard some talk of a way to inject the seed of a man into a woman artificially. If such a thing could be done, then there would be no need for her to have sexual relations with a man to obtain the code of life. This was something she would have to look into further.

But the spawning of these new children to whom she intended to give birth could not wait the months it might take to find out what she needed to know and make the preparations for it. She had made a commitment to do this, and she could not delay it for so long. She needed to get past her aversion to mating with another man and simply get it over and done with. But not tomorrow. She had other things to attend to tomorrow. It would wait until the next day.

Decision made, Egeria turned and headed off for her own chambers.

* * *

He really had been intending to go to bed. The problem was that he'd made the mistake of looking at the papers and had made a discovery that resulted in the deciphering of another two Furling symbols. This led to him looking back over previous work to see if his new knowledge would help him translate sentences that had defied his efforts before. His watch now said it was going on three a.m., and he was still at it. He really needed to go to bed. Just a few more minutes and he would.

Daniel focused his attention on the section of the writing in the ruins that puzzled him the most. It appeared to be made up of aphorisms, maxims, and other 'words of wisdom', and he couldn't figure out why they were put in a room that contained a device that would send people through time. Perhaps they were meant to act as a moral guide for the time travelers.

The sound of the floor boards outside his room creaking drew Daniel's eyes away from the paper. He listened for a moment and heard another creak. Frowning, he went to the door. He was quite surprised to find none other than Spurius on the other side. It appeared as if the man had been pacing.

"Spurius? What are you doing here?"

"I-I-I wished to speak with you," the man stammered, eyes darting away nervously.

"Um . . . isn't it kind of late in the night for that?"

"I saw the light under your door." Not meeting Daniel's eyes, the man then said, "My heart has been troubling me about my unkind thoughts about you."

"Oh. Don't worry about it, Spurius. I understand why you might be resentful of me. Don't give it another thought."

The man's hands twitched, clutching briefly at his tunic. "May we talk a moment? I know that it would ease my spirit."

"Uh, okay."

Daniel stepped aside and let the man in. After shutting the door, he paused, not sure what to do. He was a little uncomfortable about hearing the guy unburden his soul.

Spurius glanced about the room. His eyes came to rest on the pitcher of water.

"May I have a drink of water to wet my throat?" he asked.

"Sure."

Daniel turned away and headed for the water. He was halfway there when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of metal. In the next instant, agony ripped through him as a knife was plunged deep into his back. He fell to the floor, the blade striking again and again. And then there was nothing but blackness, and the pain went away.

* * *

It was almost noon when Egeria headed out into the east garden, having spent the entire morning on matters that required her attention. The weather was much cooler today, the sky half-filled with clouds. She thought about the coming days when there would be no sun, and it would rain for hours. Her need for the sun's light would then drive her to her solarium. There, she could sit in the light that kept her alive without getting wet.

Egeria had considered having a palace built on the other side of the planet's equator, one to which she could go when it was winter here so that she would always have bright sun. But that would require that she leave her city under the care of another.

The queen's thoughts went to Daniel. She had seen him infrequently these past days, both matters of state and her troubled thoughts about obtaining the code of life keeping her from inviting him to spend time with her. The matters of state were nearly completed now, and she had finally resolved to do what needed to be done regarding obtaining the code, so perhaps she could invite him to join her here in the garden for lunch. As long as no one else came out here, she could allow Arria to speak with him as well.

Deciding that would be a good idea, Egeria called for a servant.

"I would like Daniel to join me here for the noon meal. Please go tell him."

"Yes, My Queen," the woman said.

Egeria went to one of the benches to await his arrival. After more minutes had passed than she'd have thought it would take to fetch him from the library, she began to wonder what the delay was. Then she heard the approach of running feet. The door burst open, and the servant rushed out into the garden. Her face was covered in tears.

"Oh, My Queen, it is terrible!"

"Of what do you speak?"

"It is Daniel, My Queen. He has been attacked! I think he is dead."

"No!" Egeria cried. "Take me to him. Quickly!"

They ran all the way to Daniel's quarters. Egeria gasped upon entering the room. Daniel lay still and pale on the floor, his body covered in blood from multiple stab wounds, more blood spattered around the room, pools of it congealing beneath him. The feeling of death hung in the air.

Grief, sharp and terrible, speared through Egeria. She went to her knees beside Daniel and wrapped her arms around him, head and body bowed low as tears of anguish flowed down her face to fall upon his. The voice of her host was crying inside her mind.

"Oh, my Daniel, my Daniel," Egeria sobbed. "Who did this? Who came and took you from me?"

Her heart shattered to dust, Egeria laid her cheek against Daniel's cold brow. Too late. She was too late to save him. His murderer had struck last night, before Daniel had even retired to bed. No sarcophagus could revive him now.

Holding the lifeless body of the man she loved in her arms, Egeria lifted her head as a silent scream of utter torment tore through her soul. The wish for death rose inside her. Only death could take this pain away.

Just then, the queen's gaze fell upon the table across the room. Papers lay scattered upon it and the floor beside it, writing implements waiting there for the hand that had been using them. There was a small, portable light sitting on the table, casting a warm glow of illumination over the table's contents.

Egeria's breath halted in her lungs. Had Daniel been working late last night? If he had, that could mean. . . .

"Jaffa!" Egeria called frantically, scrambling to her feet. Two were instantly at her side. "Bring him."

One of the Jaffa picked up Daniel's body and followed Egeria through the corridors to a room all but a few were forbidden to enter. At its center stood a sarcophagus.

Egeria instructed the Jaffa to place Daniel inside. She watched as the lid closed. She then turned to the Jaffa, her expression now cold and deadly.

"I want to know who did this. When you find them, bring them to me."

"Yes, My Queen." The Jaffa turned and marched out of the room.

Egeria's gaze returned to the sarcophagus. If Daniel's death had occurred in the small hours of the morning, it might be able to save him. If it was earlier, there was no hope.

Sinking to the floor beside the sarcophagus, she rested her forehead on its cold surface.

"Please," she begged in a whisper. "Please bring him back to me."

It seemed like a very long time before the sarcophagus turned off. As the lid began to open, Egeria got to her feet. She watched as Daniel was slowly revealed, her stomach tight with fear. And then she saw his chest rise with breath. Tears of relief flooded her eyes. She smiled as his eyelids fluttered open.

"Oh, my Daniel," she murmured, too overcome with emotion to say more.

Confused, Daniel cast his eyes about. That's when he realized what he was inside.

"I-I'm in a sarcophagus?"

"Yes."

"Can I get out now?"

"Yes, the healing is complete."

Daniel was out of the sarcophagus so fast that it made Egeria blink in surprise. She studied his expression.

"Why are you fearful?"

Daniel forced himself to relax. "I'm sorry. It's sort of a knee-jerk reaction. It's because of what happened to me that last time I used one of those things. I know that using one a single time when you need healing won't cause addiction, but I swore that I'd never use one of those things again, if I had any choice in the matter." He glanced at Egeria. "But I guess I wasn't really in any condition to object when you put me in it."

"You were dead, Daniel. If you had not been found when you were, the sarcophagus could not have saved you. When I first saw you, I believed . . . I believed that it was already too late."

Hearing the deep pain in her voice, Daniel looked at her closely. There was evidence of tears on her face, her dark eyes even darker with the anguish she had suffered. And then he saw the blood on her dress – his blood. He looked down at himself and saw that he was covered in it. He gave a little shudder at the memory of how that blood got there.

"Tell me who did this to you," Egeria commanded, her voice now hard and filled with hatred.

Daniel met her eyes. He knew what would likely happen if he revealed the identity of his murderer.

"Do not hide them from me, Daniel. I will learn who it is."

The archeologist sighed. "It was Spurius."

Egeria was shocked. Spurius had been a faithful servant in the palace for seventeen years. "For what reason did he attack you?"

"I think he was jealous of me. He's been hostile to me in the past."

Egeria frowned. "Because I favored you above him."

Daniel shrugged. "I haven't been here for all that long, and he's been here for seventeen years. I can understand why he'd feel that way. Don't kill him, Egeria. I don't think he was in his right mind."

Egeria's expression hardened. "He killed you, Daniel. He committed murder within my domain. For that there can be only one sentence."

Saying nothing further, she turned and strode away.

* * *

Caught you by surprise with that one, didn't I. LOL

I know that some of you thought that Daniel might say yes to providing the "code of life", but you have to consider the three things I brought up in the chapter: his rape at Hathor's hands, his feelings for Sha're, and the fact that he believes that whether it's his DNA or another man's isn't going to make a difference in regards to how the larvae will turn out. Taking those things into consideration, I just couldn't see Daniel agreeing to do it, not unless circumstances changed dramatically.


	17. Chapter 17

**This chapter is going to be a tough one on both Daniel and Egeria, so brace yourselves. I ask that everyone please read the note at the end.**

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Daniel stared in horror at the room. The blood was everywhere, spattered across the walls, on the furniture, what looked like several pints of it on the floor. The room looked like a murder scene from some crime drama show on TV – except that this murder scene was real . . . and it was his.

Trying very hard not to think about it, Daniel stripped out of his bloody clothes. He quickly washed the blood from his body, feeling a desperate need for a very long, hot shower. The shower wouldn't be possible, but, if he asked, he was sure that Egeria would let him use the bath for the freemen. That would have to wait for another time, though. Right now, he had someplace he needed to get to as fast as possible.

Hurrying down the halls, Daniel followed a course he had traveled many times, the one leading to the library. When he got there, his heart cracked open at the sight before him. Decimus sat at his desk, face buried in his hands, his bent shoulders shaking as he wept.

"Decimus?" the archeologist called softly.

The old man's head rose. He stared at Daniel dumbly.

"D-D-Daniel?" he finally stammered disbelievingly.

"No, you're not seeing things. I'm really alive."

"B-b-but I was told. . . . They said. . . ."

"Yeah, I know." Daniel gave his friend a gentle smile. "I got resurrected . . . again."

In the next moment, Decimus was hurrying to him. Then Daniel found himself in a tight embrace, feeling the man's body quaking against his.

"Oh, my boy, my boy," Decimus whispered hoarsely.

Daniel returned the hug. "It's all right, Decimus. I'm okay."

The old librarian pulled back and cupped a hand behind Daniel's neck. "It is a miracle."

"A miracle courtesy of Goa'uld technology."

"You are saying that the power of the Goa'uld brought you back to life?"

Daniel nodded. "You know that little healing device that Egeria has? Well, there's a bigger machine that's powerful enough that, if you use it in time, can bring people back from the dead. This isn't the first time one has done that for me."

"Thank all the gods that such a thing exists." Decimus went to his chair, telling Daniel to sit with him. The archeologist got his chair and brought it over.

"Tell me what happened," the library keeper requested. "I was told that you were murdered."

"Yeah. It was Spurius."

Decimus stared at him in shock. "Spurius? You told me that he appeared to dislike you, but I did not think him capable of murder." The man shook his head. "He will be fortunate if Egeria only kills him."

Daniel grimaced. "Yeah, I'm kind of afraid of what she might do to him. She was . . . really angry."

"And with good reason. She cares about you a great deal."

Daniel's gaze fell to the floor. "I know."

"Ah. I see you are aware of her true feelings."

Daniel lifted his head. "You knew?"

"Yes, for a while now. I have known her too long not to have seen it." Decimus' gaze sharpened. "If I am not mistaken, you do not share her feelings."

Daniel sighed. "No, though it is not because I don't think she's an incredible, beautiful woman. I just still love my wife very much." He got up. "I have to go, Decimus. I don't know if word of my death has spread beyond the palace yet or not. I need to get to Aulus."

"Of course. Go hurry. There is love for you in his heart, too."

Daniel hurried out of the palace, ignoring all the stunned looks. Apparently, news of his return to life wasn't spreading as fast as that of his death. He'd already nearly caused a couple of heart attacks and had sent a few women screaming away as he went to his room to wash and change clothes. It would have been amusing if not for the seriousness of what happened. So, what did this bring the death count up to? If they had clubs for such things, he'd surely be a charter member by now.

Should he be concerned that he could crack jokes about this?

No laughing matter was the fate awaiting Spurius. Even though the man had killed him, Daniel didn't want revenge. He didn't want Spurius to suffer the kind of torture that Egeria might be capable of inflicting upon him. He could only hope that the Goa'uld in her was truly gone and she'd grant him a quick death.

* * *

Egeria glared coldly as Spurius was brought into the throne room and thrown at her feet.

"My Queen! What have I done?" he asked. "Why am I being treated so?"

"You know what you have done, Spurius. You did cruelly murder the one called Daniel, a man who has gained great favor and honor in my eyes. How dare you commit such an act! In striking him down you struck at me!"

"No, My Queen! It was not me!"

Egeria rose to her feet, her eyes glowing. "Do not lie to me," she commanded in the deep voice of the Goa'uld. "I am your queen."

Spurius began to babble. "I did it for you, My Queen. He curried favor with you for his own purposes and benefit. He used sweet words and a pretense of modesty and kindness to endear himself to you. For seventeen years I have served you faithfully, never asking for more than what you deigned to bestow upon me, yet he was here for mere months and with his lies, cunning and deceit did raise himself to a place in the highest ranks of your servants. I knew that I had to kill him. I tried once before. I had heard that he was made violently ill from the flowers in the west garden and needed you to heal him with your power, so I had hoped that, if he was exposed to them when you were not here to heal him, he would die and no longer be a threat. But it failed." Something almost like a smile came to his face, the gleam of fanaticism in his eyes. "But, this time, I did not fail. Do you not see? I had to kill him to protect you."

Egeria was surprised to learn that it had been Spurius, not Secundus, who placed the flowers in the slaves' dining room. This was not the first time he had sought to bring about Daniel's death.

The queen's eyes flashed with rage. "How dare you think that you have greater wisdom than me, that you can see things that I cannot. Your accusations are false. Daniel is a good and kind man, all that he appears to be. Your jealousy and the darkness in your own heart made you see what was not there." She reached down and grasped his throat, pulling him up off the floor. "If you had succeeded in taking Daniel's life forever, I would gladly torture you until you lay a torn and dead husk on the floor. But you failed this time as well, Spurius. I have brought life back to him and healed the injuries you wrought. He will continue to serve me." She released him. "You, however, will not." Egeria looked at the Jaffa who'd brought the man before her. "Kill him."

As she strode toward the door, she heard Spurius begging for mercy. His pleas were silenced by the blast of a staff weapon.

* * *

The moment Daniel saw Aulus, he knew that the man hadn't received word of what happened. Walking up to where the master builder stood watching the construction going on, Daniel formulated his words.

"Hey, Aulus," he said.

The man turned to him with a smile. "Daniel! What a pleasant surprise."

"Um . . . we need to talk."

Aulus' smile disappeared. "Is there trouble?"

"Well . . . sort of."

The builder took him to a spot outside the construction site, and they sat upon a low wall.

"You know how you made me promise to tell you the next time someone tried to kill me?" Daniel asked.

Aulus looked startled. "Someone tried to kill you again?"

"No, someone . . . _did_ kill me."

Aulus blinked, stared at him, then blinked again. "Have you had a few extra glasses of wine today, Daniel?"

"I'm serious, Aulus. Last night, I was stabbed to death by one of Egeria's slaves."

He explained the whole thing to the man, watching Aulus' expression go from horror, to wonder, to deep anger.

"He will suffer greatly for this," the master builder growled.

"I hope not."

"He murdered you, Daniel! He stabbed you in the back like a coward! He deserves any punishment Egeria gives to him."

Not feeling like arguing about what kind of punishment Spurius deserved, Daniel stood up.

"I need to get back. I just wanted to come tell you what happened before you heard about it from someone else. Half the palace probably still thinks I'm dead, and a few people think my bloody corpse is walking the halls."

Aulus laughed, wishing he'd seen the looks on the faces of the people who saw Daniel after his return to life.

The master builder got to his feet and abruptly pulled Daniel into a bear hug. "I bless Egeria for bringing you back to us," he murmured. He then stepped back, patted Daniel's shoulders, wiped a finger quickly over one eye, and strode off back to work.

* * *

It turned out that Daniel was wrong about the number of people at the palace who still thought he was dead. When he got back there, he learned that news of his return to life had spread from one end of the place to the other. Many people had found out about his murder and his resurrection at the same time. Another thing Daniel learned was that Spurius was dead. The man was brought before Egeria and executed on the spot. Daniel was relieved that he had not been tortured first.

A servant had informed Daniel that Egeria had commanded that his room be scrubbed clean of all traces of blood. Any furniture that couldn't be cleaned of it – or stripped of covers, as in the case of the bed – would be replaced with new furniture. The process was going to take quite a while, so he'd been banned from his room until it was done. Considering the fact that he had no desire to go back there any time soon, that was not going to be a problem. He was also told that Egeria had given permission for him to use the bath for the freemen, which he most eagerly took her up on, only wishing that he had his homemade bar of soap with him.

The archeologist was in the midst of a conversation with one of the slaves when he heard running feet and turned to see Titus barreling toward him. The boy threw his arms around Daniel's waist.

"He said you were dead!" he cried. "I was playing with Tiberius, and a slave came and told me you were dead!" He looked up at Daniel. "I did not want to believe it. I ran away to the river. But you are _not_ dead. You are alive!"

Daniel wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders, giving him a squeeze. "I am now. Come on. I'll tell you all about it."

As they walked, Daniel told Titus what happened. The youth was filled with anger over Daniel's murder and awe over his return to the land of the living.

"Egeria is truly a god," he breathed.

"What she used was a machine, Titus, not magical powers." Daniel stopped short of actually denying that Egeria was a god. It was up to her to tell her people that.

Nobody in the library got much of any work done that day. It was a little tough to concentrate on anything when you were constantly being interrupted by people coming by either to ask about what happened or simply to confirm the story. Titus ate it up and became the official storyteller, his recount of the heinous murder and Daniel's resurrection getting more dramatic with each telling. It became even more so when they learned that it was Spurius who put the flowers in the dining room, that this was actually his second murder attempt on Daniel. Titus painted the man as a maniacal fiend who'd coldly plotted the archeologist's murder for weeks.

Daniel believed otherwise. He was thinking about the way Spurius had been acting last night, the pacing, the nervous gestures, eyes that would not meet his. They were not the mannerisms of a man who had coldly plotted his death.

Daniel was certain that the incident with the flowers was a spur of the moment thing, a sudden, impulsive decision. To kill someone that way, from a distance, took far less bravery than to do so up close and personal, especially when the man you wanted dead was bigger and stronger than you.

As for last night, Daniel was almost certain that Spurius' intention had been to kill him in his sleep. He'd learned that the man had completed his duties for the day at the usual time in the evening and had apparently gone off to retire for the night not long afterwards. He would have had no reason to be passing Daniel's door at three in the morning, especially since the lavatory was in the opposite direction. From one slave, Daniel learned that Spurius had been seen near the archeologist's room earlier in the night, at somewhere around midnight.

Daniel's belief was that Spurius had finally gathered the courage that night to murder him, but, upon coming to Daniel's room at midnight, saw that the light was on. He'd returned to his room and waited. When he came back three hours later and found the light still on, he didn't know what to do. He'd worked himself up to finally commit the deed, but his plan was unraveling. And so he began to pace. When Daniel confronted him, he decided to go for it anyway.

The archeologist thought about what would have happened if he hadn't gotten caught up in his work on the Furling language and went to bed when he had originally intended. He'd have been asleep when Spurius stole into his room at midnight. Twelve hours later, his body would have been found, and it would have been too late to put him in the sarcophagus. He'd escaped permanent death because he was a workaholic. He could only imagine what Jack would have to say about that.

Considering what happened, Daniel had fully expected Egeria to ask to see him sometime during the day. Therefore, he was surprised when the day came to a close without a visit or a request to see her. He hadn't ventured into any of the gardens during the day, having had enough of long stares and curious servants as it was.

When Daniel got to his room that evening, he saw that a pretty good job had been done on removing all traces of what happened there. The walls and floor were clean. New bedding and pillows were on the bed. All the chairs had been replaced, no doubt because blood was a lot harder to get out of upholstery than it was off of hard surfaces.

The problem was that, no matter how clean the room was, it couldn't remove from his mind the memories of what happened there. All day today, he'd fought not to think about it without much success. Of course, the fact that the whole grisly story kept getting repeated over and over again didn't help much.

Daniel walked over to the table and looked down at the papers containing the Furling language and his translation notes, which someone had stacked in a neat pile. His eyes went to the dark stains on the paper that had not been there before.

On the previous occasions that he'd died, it had been quick, a brief instant of pain and then nothing, unless you counted his cardiac arrest while in Ma'chello's body. But this time was a whole hell of a lot different. As the knife plunged into his body over and over again, he had known that he was going to die. He'd actually seen his life flash before his eyes and had wondered if he'd really done enough to make a difference.

Forcefully pushing those thoughts yet again out if his mind, Daniel stepped over to the chair to sit down. A knock on the door halted him. He stiffened, remaining locked in place for several seconds, the thought of what happened the last time someone came to his room running through his head. Chastising himself for being silly, he then went to the door and opened it. It was Camilla.

"Egeria would like you to come to her private chambers," the Lo'taur said.

"Oh. Um, all right."

On the way there, Daniel wondered if the reason why Egeria had not talked to him earlier was that she hadn't wanted to do so when there was any chance that they would be interrupted. Another thing he'd heard today was talk of her weeping in utter anguish as she held his body close. His death had hit her hard, and her emotions were probably still high. She might fear that she'd lose control again as she spoke to him. She wouldn't want anyone else to see that.

This time, Egeria was in the lounge when Daniel arrived. She just stood staring at him for several seconds. Then he saw the subtle changes that marked Arria being given control. Seconds after that, she was across the room and holding onto Daniel as if for dear life.

"Oh, Daniel. It hurt so much. It hurt so much," Arria sobbed.

Daniel held her close, rubbing her back soothingly. "Shh. It's okay, Arria. Don't cry."

"We thought we had lost you. Egeria wanted to die. I wanted to die, too."

The confession made Daniel's breath catch. He tightened his hold a little more.

Arria lifted her head and held his eyes with hers. "We care about you so much. Please do not ever leave us. We cannot bear for you to go. We cannot _let_ you go."

Daniel's heart began to sink. Would this incident drive Egeria into refusing to free him from slavery? Would her emotions cloud her conscience?

"A-Arria, I understand how you feel; I really do. But I can't stay here. I have to go home, go back to fighting against the Goa'uld."

Arria's head shook vehemently. "No! You cannot go! You have to stay with us forever!"

Suddenly, the body of the woman he was holding stiffened slightly. He saw a familiar flash of light in the eyes. When it faded, the look of desperation was gone.

"I am sorry," Egeria said. "Arria's emotions overcame her."

"It's all right, Egeria. I understand."

Tear-filled eyes met his. "In all my two thousand years of life, never have I felt so much pain. My grief knew no bounds. If I had not been able to revive you, all joy in my life would have been gone."

"But you _did_ revive me, Egeria. I'm okay." He pulled her a little bit closer. "I'm okay."

Standing there and looking into Daniel's eyes, feeling his warm, living body so close to hers, Egeria felt her self-control slipping. She sensed the danger signals, knew that she should put a halt to this before things got out of hand, but it felt so very good to be held by him. Choosing to ignore the alarm that was now blaring deep inside her mind, she did not rein in the desire that was growing stronger by the second. Her eyes slid down to Daniel's lips. In the next second, her self-control crumbled completely, and she pulled his mouth down to hers.

The feeling of his lips on hers ignited Egeria's desire into a raging bonfire, sending it surging through every part of her. Her body responded. Unaware of what she was doing, Egeria released her Nish'ta'el, Nish'ta'el that her passion and love crafted into a powerful mixture of almost pure pheromone.

Daniel, who was on the verge of breaking the kiss, breathed in the Nish'ta'el. Instantly, he was hit with an intense wave of desire that took control of him completely. His mind and body on fire with sudden, all-consuming need, he crushed Egeria against him and devoured her mouth, her resulting moan lost in the heat of his hunger.

Desperate, needy hands began running over bodies. Egeria released the belt from around Daniel's waist, then her hands went under his tunic to tug and pull at the loincloth around his hips. It came undone and fell to the floor, leaving him naked beneath the tunic.

The touch of her hands on his bare skin sent Daniel's passion rising still higher. He grabbed her dress and, in one move, pulled it over her head, fully revealing her beautiful body to his eyes. Seconds later, his tunic joined the dress on the floor.

They somehow made it to the bed chamber. And then they were on the bed, bodies tangled in wild desire, the need for consummation too powerful to delay any longer.

As Daniel buried himself deep within Egeria's body, there was no voice inside him crying out in horror, no part of his mind telling him that this should not be happening, for the power of the Nish'ta'el was in complete control, and there was nothing left to warn him that this passion was not truly his own.

* * *

Hazily, Daniel arose from sleep. He fought to clear the cloud in his mind, confused about where he was and what had happened. And then he felt the warm touch of another body. He turned his head and stared in shock at the naked form of Egeria pressed against his back.

The realization of what had happened slammed into Daniel at almost the same time as the memories did. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God! With a cry, Daniel leapt out of the bed, taking the coverlet with him. Wrapping it tightly about his body, he stumbled into the corner and sank to the floor.

Awakened violently from sleep, Egeria struggled upright to look at him.

"How could you?" he cried in anguish. "I trusted you. I _trusted_ you! How could you do this?"

Staring into Daniel's eyes – seeing the devastation there, the tears on his face – Egeria suddenly realized what she had done. No! Oh, no, no, no! She scrabbled out of the bed and fell to her knees before him, having no thought for her nakedness. Seeing Daniel shrink away from her was like a dagger to her heart.

"Oh, my Daniel, I am so sorry! I did not mean to! It was not willfully done! My love and desire for you overcame me, and the Nish'ta'el was released. I swear to you that I did not know! Please, please believe me. I did not know!"

Daniel heard what she was saying, but he was too lost in the feelings of pain and betrayal that were drowning him. He turned his face away, clamping his eyes shut.

"Please leave me alone," he whispered brokenly. "Just leave me alone."

Her heart shattering into a million pieces, Egeria jumped to her feet, grabbed a sheet off the bed, and fled. Through the lounge she ran, then on into another room, and still another after that until she could go no further. Sinking to the floor, she clutched the sheet to her body and wept in heartbroken shame.

"Oh, what have I done? What have I done?" she sobbed, filled with self-loathing. She had betrayed her beloved Daniel, done to him what Hathor did. There could be no forgiveness for this, no way to undo the damage. All was gone, destroyed, and nothing would ever get it back.

* * *

Daniel didn't really know how he made it to his room. He had little memory of the journey. It being so early in the morning, there was no one around, not a soul to see him and wonder at his presence.

Curled into a ball on his bed, Daniel cried. What Hathor did to him tore him open, leaving wounds that took a long time to heal, but, in a way, what happened this time was so much worse. This time, the one who did it was a woman to whom he'd given his friendship and trust.

The rational part of his mind, the part not overwhelmed by emotion, was telling him that, if Egeria had not been lying when she said that she didn't even realize that she'd released the drug, this wasn't a true betrayal, but an accident, an unintentional act resulting from heightened emotions. The problem was that the logical and reasonable part of his mind wasn't speaking loud enough to be heard as more than a little whisper in the depths of his brain.

Every moment of his and Egeria's lovemaking replayed in Daniel's mind despite all his efforts to keep them out. He remembered the lust that took him fully under its control, the need that drowned out every rational thought in his mind. He wanted to shut it all out, drive it from his brain, but it refused to leave him alone. If it had been love that drove him to such heights of desire and passion, he'd have felt nothing but pleasure in the memories. But it had not been love; it had been the drug of a Goa'uld queen making him lose all sense of reason, all thoughts of what lovemaking was supposed to be, what it had always been to him.

At last, Daniel couldn't take it anymore. He left the palace and went to the river. He headed upriver to a spot where a stream merged with the river in a small waterfall. Stripping off his clothes, Daniel plunged into the water and swam to the waterfall, having no thought for the dangers of swimming in the current at night. He reached the waterfall and thrust his body into it, shivering in the chilly night air as the water pounded down on him.

On the day that Daniel was raped, he had managed to hold it together while at the SGC, never letting on what he was feeling. But, once he was home, he pretty much fell apart. He all but ripped the clothes from his body and flung himself into the shower, making the water so hot that it hurt. In the corner of the stall, he'd huddled in a wretched ball and sobbed out his guilt and pain.

Daniel remained where he was for a long time. By the time he got out of the water, he was shivering violently. Having no towel to dry off with, he wrestled the tunic over his wet skin, then sat on the bank of the river, arms wrapped around himself in a meager attempt to warm his body. Forehead resting upon his bent knees, he took several deep breaths as, finally, his mind began to still.

A new image came to him, that of Egeria's stricken face as she told him that releasing the drug had been unintentional, that she hadn't even realized it had happened. As they made love, she must have believed that Daniel's passion was a result of real desire, that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. What must she be feeling now, knowing that was not true? If he was in her place, it would hurt terribly. And how much guilt must she be feeling, knowing that she'd used her power on him like Hathor did? He knew what that kind of guilt would be doing to him, especially if he'd done it to someone he loved.

Daniel got up and went back to the palace. In his room, he stripped off his wet clothes, dried off, and crawled under the covers. He didn't know what to do. Right now, facing Egeria was something he couldn't even contemplate doing, yet he would have to sooner or later. He could not hide from this forever. He couldn't carry on and try to pretend it didn't happen. That's what he'd tried to do after the rape, and it didn't work. It was even less possible this time because the other party involved was someone who lived under the same roof. And, even if that wasn't the case, it would not be fair to Egeria.

His mind coming up with no answers, the physical and emotional upheavals finally caught up to Daniel, and he fell into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

Knowing that there was no way that he could possibly work, Daniel sent a message to Decimus the next morning explaining that matters had come up that would keep him busy with other things for the day. There was not another slave in the palace who could have gotten away with something like that, but, in Decimus' eyes, Daniel had never been a slave, and he never treated the archeologist as such.

Daniel spent much of the day in his room. Every time he ventured out, he took the chance of bumping into Egeria. Though it made him feel like a coward, he just didn't feel capable of dealing with the emotional fallout that seeing her would produce. It also made him feel selfish. He knew that Egeria must be hurting, too, and that they really needed to talk, but he just didn't think he could handle that yet.

It was late afternoon when there was a knock on his door. He opened it to find Camilla on the other side. Dreading that she was there to tell him that Egeria wanted to talk to him, he met her eyes and saw that they were filled with fear.

"Camilla, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Daniel, I do not know. It is Egeria. She is in terrible pain. I asked her what was wrong, but she told me to go away. I did not know what to do, and I thought of you."

A leaden feeling in his stomach, Daniel knew what was wrong.

"Take me to her now," he said urgently.

They hurried to the queen's chambers. Daniel's heart dropped like a stone at the sight that met his eyes there. Egeria lay curled into a fetal position on her bed, perspiration on her pale face, eyes closed tightly in pain.

Daniel knelt before the bed. "Egeria, how long has it been since you got any sun?" he asked.

Her eyes opened a crack, then she turned her face away. "Leave me be. Let me suffer alone. It is only what I deserve."

Suddenly angry, Daniel got to his feet. "Like hell I will." He looked toward the balcony. Seeing that it was in shade, he turned to Camilla. "Is there a room nearby where she can get lots of sun? She needs direct sunlight."

"There is the solarium."

Ignoring Egeria's protests, Daniel scooped her up off the bed and told Camilla to show him the way. They left the chambers and traveled down the hall a short ways to a staircase that ascended to a dome-shaped room on the roof that was made almost entirely of a clear material.

Laying Egeria on a settee that faced the sun, he pulled a chair over and sat in it.

"Why do you do this?" she asked in a defeated voice, not looking at him.

"Because I'm not going to let you act like an idiot."

Nothing more was said for the next hour. It took that long for Egeria to recover enough that she was able to sit up, though she was obviously still quite shaky and in pain.

Deciding that it was time that they talked, Daniel looked up at the other person in the room. "We need to talk in private, Camilla. Egeria will be all right now. I promise."

The woman hesitated a long while, eyes going back and forth between him and Egeria. She then reluctantly left.

Now starting to feel angry again, Daniel stared at Egeria. "What did you think you were doing? Were you trying to kill yourself?" His temper abruptly chilled as he wondered if that's exactly what she'd been doing. In a softer tone of voice, he asked, "Is that what you were doing, Egeria?"

The woman sighed. "I was not thinking clearly. I knew that I needed to go out into the sun, but my heart was aching so. When the pain became too much for me to curb, I told myself that it was only what I deserved."

Daniel sighed. He couldn't help but feel guilty over this. If he hadn't avoided her, if he'd decided to stop being a coward and go talk to her, this wouldn't have happened.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I should have come talk to you."

Egeria stared at him. "You are sorry? How can you apologize after what I did to you? You should delight in my pain."

"How can you say that? Do you honestly think I'd want to see you in pain?"

Egeria closed her eyes, face turned away. No, he would not want such a thing. He was far too kind-hearted, even to people who did not deserve it.

"I am so sorry, Daniel," she whispered.

"I know."

Nothing more was said as Egeria continued to recover. It took another hour for her to reach the point where she was able to reduce the pain enough that it didn't feel like the cells of her body were on fire. She made a move to get off the settee, but Daniel ordered her to stay right where she was, able to tell that she was still hurting.

She looked at him almost in amusement. "When was it that you were made my master? I could have you tortured for daring to tell me what to do."

Daniel crossed his arms stubbornly. "I don't care. I'd prefer not to see you fall flat on your royal face."

That actually made the ghost of a smile flit across Egeria's lips. It did not last for long. She hung her head in sorrow.

"I know that I have lost all respect in your eyes. Will I ever be able to regain even one small measure of it?"

"I still respect you, Egeria."

Shocked, she stared at him. "How can you?"

"Because what happened last night doesn't undo all the things you've done that made me respect you in the first place."

Tears filled Egeria's eyes. "I hurt you, Daniel, and I do not know what to do to atone for that, in your eyes or in mine."

Daniel's gaze dropped from hers. Yes, it hurt. Even knowing that what she did was unintentional, it still hurt. Would anything ever really make it all right? It had left Egeria riddled with guilt and had opened a gulf between them that Daniel didn't think could ever be fully bridged because one very important link in their relationship had been broken: the one of trust. He knew that she would never harm him physically and that she would never do anything to betray the secrets he'd shared with her. But could he ever trust her enough to let her touch him, to let her get that close? Each time she did, he knew that the thought would run through his mind, "What if it happens again?" Yes, he and Jack developed an immunity to Hathor's Nish'ta'el, but he did not know if the same thing would happen this time or how long it would take to happen.

Daniel tried to think of some way that something good could come of this, something to make up for what had been lost. That's when a thought came into his mind. It would not make up for what was lost, but at least it would give some meaning to what happened, make it so that it wasn't for nothing.

"Egeria, do you still have my . . . my code of life?"

She looked at him. "Yes. Your seed still lives within me."

He met her eyes. "Then use it, use it for the symbiotes that will one day fight against the Goa'uld."

"After what I did, how I got the code, you would give me leave to use it?" she asked, her voice colored with shock.

"It's there, Egeria. It's inside you. If you just . . . threw it away, then what happened will have accomplished nothing good at all. I want it to mean something."

Egeria gazed deep into his eyes, seeing the emotion there. Something that she had come to see in Daniel was that he possessed a deep desire to help people, to do some good in the universe. What he was saying now was a reflection of that.

Determination hardening her will, Egeria rose from the settee. "It will, my Daniel," she swore. "From your code of life will be made the shield that will protect my children from harm when they blend with the hosts that will fight with them against our common enemy."

Rising to his feet, Daniel watched Egeria stride out of the room toward the final step in her journey to becoming the mother of the Tok'ra.

* * *

Yes, I know. You're really mad at me. I can hear some of you screaming, "How could you do that?" I'm very sorry, but this was always the way it was intended to happen, right from the moment I decided to write this story. Now, before you start plotting my murder, I would ask that you please read the rest of the fic. I have a surprise in store for everyone that I'm hoping will change your mind about killing me. And please don't be too mean with the reviews. You wouldn't want me to do something like wait a month or two before posting the next chapter, now would you? ;-) 


	18. Chapter 18

**TISSUE WARNING! TISSUE WARNING! I'm not kidding about this, so don't blame me if you ignore this warning, then end up with a wet keyboard.**

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Egeria sat on the floor beside the tank, gazing at the larvae within it. She could already see a difference in them from those she had spawned in all the previous years. Their movements were more sporadic, less purposeful. Without the knowledge of the Goa'uld, they had only their inborn instincts and intelligence to guide them. The rest would come from her teachings.

"My children," she murmured, resting her hand upon the glass. "You have such a great destiny to fulfill. I will teach you as well as I am able. You will learn the value of kindness and honor. I will teach you to be courageous in the face of adversity and death, for I know that you will suffer those things in the centuries ahead. You will know that to sacrifice yourself for the greater good is a thing that sets you far above the Goa'uld. Most of all, I will teach you to love and respect your hosts, to give to them the right to share control of their bodies."

_'Egeria?'_ said the inner voice of her host.

_'Yes?'_

_'I am glad we did this.'_

Egeria noticed right away the use of the plural form of address. It didn't surprise her. She'd caught herself thinking "we" and "us" instead of "I" and "me" quite often these days. She had gotten so used to the strong, constant feeling of Arria's presence, of their conversations and sharing of thoughts, that she knew she would feel strange and, in a way, incomplete if she was to suddenly lose that connection to her host. That was yet another thing for which she had Daniel to thank. If it were not for him, she would never know the happiness of having a close, constant companion with her wherever she went. She wouldn't know what it was like to never feel alone.

Rising to her feet, Egeria left the spawning room and went in search of the man to whom she owed so much. Even though it was quite early in the morning, she had a feeling that she knew where he would be. She found him in the smaller section of the west garden, sitting on a bench and staring with a distant expression at some dew-covered flowers. He lifted his head as she approached.

"They are born," she said.

Daniel's eyes studied hers. "And you're sure that. . . ."

"Yes, I am sure. They are pure and clean, untainted by the evil of the Goa'uld. Come. I wish you to see them."

As they walked, Daniel glanced at Egeria a couple of times. After she left yesterday to go spawn, he had spent a lot of time thinking about what happened between them, and he'd come to the conclusion that what bothered him the most wasn't that Egeria had used her drug on him, it was how he reacted to it. It had been the same way with the incident with Hathor. What had hurt the most were his actions, not hers. Unlike when a woman was raped or when a man was raped by another man, in order for what happened with Hathor to take place at all, it was necessary for him to be sexually aroused, and he'd been riddled with shame and guilt over the fact that he had been. He had believed that he should have been stronger, that he should have been able to fight it and keep from becoming aroused. Only after both Sam and Janet just about beat him over the head with all the facts about how date rape drugs affected their victims – and how, in some ways, Hathor's drug had been pretty much the same thing – that he was finally able to begin moving past the guilt and shame.

So, now, he'd been exposed to the Nish'ta'el yet again, only, this time, it didn't just arouse him, it made him lose all semblance of control. He was completely driven by lust, by the need to mate, and, just like what happened with Hathor, that made him feel ashamed. In his whole life, Daniel had never had sex with a woman just because he wanted her, and he had _never_ acted the way he did that night. What the Nish'ta'el turned him into was someone contrary to the kind of man he was, someone he barely recognized. And he hadn't even tried to fight it. This time, there was no internal struggle, no part of him crying out that it shouldn't be happening.

Daniel didn't know why he reacted that way. He could only assume that there was a major difference in the chemical makeup of the Nish'ta'el Egeria created. Janet had said that Hathor's drug was some kind of super pheromone combined with something like Sodium Pentothal. Daniel suspected that what _Egeria_ exposed him to was pure pheromone, one that was dozens of times more powerful than Hathor's.

As they entered the spawning room, Daniel's eyes fell upon the tank. There they were, the first of the Tok'ra race, the race that would someday ally with Earth in a common quest to destroy the Goa'uld. He wished that he could tell Egeria what her children would accomplish.

Though he knew that, even if he'd never come, this would have happened anyway, it still gave Daniel a certain sense of satisfaction that he'd been a part of it and that he'd been able to witness this turning point in history.

As he thought about all the things that led up to this moment, Daniel suddenly realized that it was all worth it. Even with all the fear, pain and heartache, he was glad that he'd been here to see this happen and that he'd played a role in it being fulfilled. He turned and looked at Egeria. Most of all, he was glad that he'd been given the honor of meeting her.

"This is a good thing that you've done, Egeria," he said quietly. "I don't think I can express how proud I am of you for doing it."

Daniel's words brought the sting of tears to her eyes. It meant so much to her that, even after the way she hurt him, he could have pride in her.

"So, what are you going to call them?" he asked. "They should have a different name."

"Yes, you are right. I do not want these children to bear the name of Goa'uld. What do you suggest?"

"Well, you've created them to be a force in opposition to the Goa'uld, and Ra is the most powerful of the System Lords. How about . . . Tok'ra, 'Against Ra'?"

"Tok'ra. Yes, that name pleases me. It is fitting." She looked at him, her smile fading. "They are as much your children as they are mine, Daniel. If it were not for you, I do not think that they would ever have come to be."

"No, I think that, eventually, you'd have done this on your own, Egeria. It just might have taken you a little longer." He paused. "How many will you make using my . . . code of life? Will it be just these?"

"No. These are only a small number of what will be born with it. I will keep your seed alive within me for as long as I am able, and, in those days, I will spawn many more times. You will be the father to many hundreds of my children, thousands if my strength does not falter."

Daniel dropped his gaze to the floor, uncomfortable with her calling him their father, especially since that wasn't really what he was.

Pushing that thought aside, Daniel asked another question. "I suppose that you couldn't create another queen, someone who could help you, take some of the burden off you." Even as he asked the question, he was pretty sure he already knew the answer. If Egeria could have made a queen, she'd have done so in the previous version of history, especially after making the decision to put her life at risk by going to Earth.

"That I fear would not be possible. A queen is created at will by her mother through careful genetic manipulations. The manipulations are complex and must be performed throughout the larvae's development inside the mother. It requires much attention, which is why she will be the only larva spawned in that cycle. It would be impossible for me to maintain the low brainwave activity necessary to prevent the Goa'uld knowledge from being passed on. Any queen to whom I gave birth would be as a Goa'uld, possessing all the evil that is within their memories."

Daniel nodded, his suspicion now confirmed. "You said that you would teach these larvae while they are not inside Jaffa, but how will you do it? I mean, how exactly will you pass on the knowledge?"

"Goa'uld queens have a special connection to the larvae to which they give birth. We are able to establish a mental connection while in close contact with them, not unlike that which passes on the Goa'uld knowledge as they are being formed, except that it is something done completely at will. When my children are in the pool, I will mentally join with them and establish this connection. Through it, I will be able to teach them many things in a relatively short span of time, passing on much of what I know, although I would never be able to give them all that is within my mind. The knowledge I bear is far too vast to give it all to them in so little time. But I will give them as much as I can so that they have what they need to fight the Goa'uld, knowledge of technology, Goa'uld lineage and history, and many other things."

Egeria took Daniel's hand and led him to the tank. She lowered her other hand into the water, and Daniel watched as a few of the larvae wandered over to it, as if they were curious. Looking in Egeria's eyes, he realized what she wanted. Though he'd really rather not, he put his own hand in the water. Several more larvae came to investigate it, brushing lightly against his hand. One in particular seemed to be especially fascinated and wound its body between his fingers. Then it lifted its head, and Daniel could have sworn that it looked right at him for a moment.

After another few seconds, Daniel removed his hand from the water, resting it on the rim of the tank as he stared down into it.

Egeria gazed at Daniel's profile. She knew that what she did to him had left a mark upon his heart, and it grieved her that their relationship might never fully heal.

"Will a day come when you will once again trust me?" she asked. She did not ask if he would ever forgive her, for she feared that his answer would break her heart.

Daniel looked at her. "I do still trust you about most things, Egeria. I trust that you would never willingly reveal to anyone what I have told you. I would trust you with my life and the lives of the people I love. It's just that. . . ." He let out a sigh. "It's just that I don't know if I can ever fully trust that what happened won't ever happen again." He paused. "If it _did_ happen again, would I be immune to the effects now?"

"Sometimes, a man will develop a resistance or even an immunity to a particular queen's Nish'ta'el, especially if he has been exposed to it more than once during a short span of time."

"But not always."

Egeria sighed sadly. "No." She wanted to tell Daniel that what happened that night would never happen again, that she would never again lose control like that, but she could not say that, for, even in her own mind, she was not certain. Her love and desire for him burned even more powerfully within her now that she had the memories of their lovemaking. Someday, her desire for him might take control of her again. If that ever happened, she knew that she would destroy forever all trust he had in her.

In that moment, Egeria knew what she had to do.

Gently, she took his hand again. Daniel was shocked when she removed the slave bracelet from his wrist.

"I set you free, Daniel," she said. "Leave this place and go home, return to your people and their fight against the Goa'uld."

Stunned, Daniel stared at her. "Why are you doing this, Egeria?" he asked, knowing that it was not because it was the morally right thing to do.

The former Goa'uld queen, the woman who was now the queen and mother of the Tok'ra, cupped his cheek in her hand. "Because I love you, Daniel, and I could not bear it if I ever hurt you again."

Daniel's throat tightened with emotion. A part of him wished that he could love her back, but there was still room in his heart for only one woman.

Knowing that he probably shouldn't, Daniel stepped forward and pulled Egeria into a hug. She held onto him tightly. After a long moment, he felt a change in the way she held her body. Then the grip on him tightened even more, and he knew that it was now Arria who was holding him.

"I love you, Daniel," she whispered.

The words almost made him lose control of the tears he was fighting to hold back. He thought about what Sam had told him, what she'd learned from Martouf. The symbiote and host love as one.

He softly stroked her hair. "I am glad that I got the chance to meet you, Arria. I don't think there was a better person that Egeria could have taken as a host." He smiled ever so slightly. "Don't let her curb your talking too much, okay?"

She lifted her head to look at him, the tiniest of smiles shining through her tears. She gave him a nod, her throat too tight to speak.

The woman's head bowed for a moment. When it lifted, the eyes were once again those of Egeria. She gently pushed him away.

"Now leave," she said in a trembling voice, "before my heart decides that it cannot let you go." She touched his face one last time. "I will never forget you, my beautiful Daniel."

"I'll never forget you either, Egeria. You need to know that I am honored and . . . and grateful to have I met you."

Those words succeeded in making Egeria's heart both swell with gladness and tear open in pain. She pulled his head down and placed a long kiss on his brow.

"No more honored and grateful that I am to have met you," she whispered against his skin.

Their eyes meeting one last time, Daniel turned and walked away. He went to his room, where he got his BDUs and the things he'd had with him when he was transported to this time. He didn't put the BDUs on, though, figuring that it would be best not to draw attention to himself. Instead, he put them back in the leather satchel Egeria had given to him, making sure that everything was present in the vest pockets.

Daniel looked about the room, his eyes going to the gift that Egeria had given him. He walked up to the small, fragile vase. On Earth, it would be a priceless artifact, but to him it would be a precious memento from an extraordinary period in his life. Knowing that Egeria would want him to keep it, he carefully wrapped it up in his BDU shirt and tucked it into the satchel. He then gathered all his papers on the Furling language, figuring that he might need them.

After leaving his quarters, Daniel did not head for the exit. Instead, he took a different direction. He couldn't go yet, not without saying goodbye to someone first.

He traveled the familiar path to the library and opened the door. Decimus was hunched over some book, busily writing on a piece of paper. Daniel just stood and watched him. After several seconds, the old man became aware of his presence and looked up. He began to smile, then he noticed the look on Daniel's face. A moment after that, he saw something else: Daniel's bare right wrist. He knew what the missing slave bracelet meant.

"You are leaving," he said with a sad sigh. "She set you free."

"Yeah." Daniel came forward, shutting the door behind him. "There are things I never told you about me, Decimus, things I would like you to know. But I can't tell you unless you can swear that you will never breathe a word of it to anyone, including Egeria. The fate of the entire galaxy may depend on it."

The elderly man searched Daniel's eyes, seeing the seriousness there.

"I will tell no one, Daniel."

"Not even Egeria? Most here believe her to be a god."

"And you believe that I am one of them?" Decimus snorted and made a dismissive gesture. "I have served Egeria from the time I was old enough to be put to work, and, unlike those silly Jaffa, I have not blinded myself to the truth. If the Goa'uld were truly gods, would you and I have to slave away at translating these books and scrolls into a language that our queen understood? A true god would be all-knowing, able to read all languages, speak all tongues. I know that, as powerful as they are, the Goa'uld are not gods."

"Yet you obey Egeria without question."

"She is my queen, my sovereign. I serve her just as my ancestors served the rulers of Rome, Greece, and other nations of our mother planet. She is more worthy of my fealty than some of them would have been, if even only half the stories I have been told are true."

Daniel nodded slightly, thinking about some of the brutal, despotic rulers of ancient Earth. "I can't argue with you there."

The old man gazed intently into Daniel's eyes. "I swear upon my life and the lives of all I hold dear that I will tell no one what you reveal to me."

Daniel took a seat. "What if I was to tell you that I haven't even be born yet, that I won't be born for another two thousand years?"

"I would say that is quite amazing considering that I am looking at you with my very own eyes."

"I am from the future, Decimus. I traveled back in time to this era."

Decimus leaned forward, his eyes bright with excitement. "Truly?"

Daniel nodded. "It was an accident, I found a device that brought me back to this time."

"Then you are going home now, back to your time."

"If I can. I'm not sure that I'll be able to get it to send me back to my time."

"And if you cannot? What will you do?"

"I don't know yet. I just know that I have to keep trying, for as long as I can."

"This is extraordinary. A man from two thousand years in the future. You must know so many things that have yet to happen, history that has yet to be made."

"Yes."

Decimus' eyes abruptly widened. "You are Tau'ri! You are from the first world."

"Actually, we call it Earth, but, yes, I am."

Decimus nodded. "This explains how it is that you know so much about that world and its languages." He smiled brightly. "What is it like in your time, this world where my ancestors were born?"

"Oh, it's quite a bit different than it is at this time in history. For one thing, we are free of the Goa'uld. I'd like to tell you all about it, but I can't. If the Goa'uld found out somehow, it could put my world in jeopardy."

"I understand." Decimus studied Daniel's face. "Ah, the knowledge you have, the things you have seen that have not yet come to pass. I envy you."

Daniel shook his head. "Don't envy me, Decimus. Some of the things I know are quite amazing, but I also know about a lot of terrible things, horrible events that will be happening, which I do not have the power to stop."

The elderly man gave him an understanding smile. "Yes, to know the future would be a heavy burden to bear."

He slowly got to his feet, as did Daniel. The old man came around the desk and pulled the younger one into a tight embrace. "I am going to miss you, my boy," he said in a roughened voice. He pulled back slightly, looking up at Daniel with eyes that glittered with tears. "You won't forget old Decimus, will you?"

Tears filled Daniel's eyes. "How could I ever forget you, Decimus? I owe you so much."

The two men separated, wiping away tears.

"Now, go on with you," Decimus said, his voice a little firmer, though still a bit rough. "Long goodbyes serve no purpose except to make everyone disgustingly maudlin."

Daniel choked out a little laugh. He really was going to miss this amazing old man.

"Tell Titus goodbye for me," he said. "I wish he was here so that I could do it myself, but I can't wait for him. I have a . . . a journey ahead of me, and I need to reach my destination while it's still early. Tell him that I know he'll be a great library keeper someday."

"I will."

Giving his friend one last smile, Daniel turned and left. He was a few paces down the hall when he saw a young figure approaching. He was both happy and sad, happy that he'd get to say goodbye to Titus himself, sad because he didn't want to watch the boy's heart break.

"Daniel! I came early today because Decimus promised that he would start teaching me the Ikseeki alphabet."

Daniel sighed. "Titus, come here. There's something I need to tell you."

As the boy came up to the archeologist, he noticed the missing slave bracelet. "Your slave bracelet is gone!"

"Yes. Egeria has set me free."

Titus smiled. "Then you are a freeman again!"

"Yeah." Daniel laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Titus, I have to go back to my home. There are things waiting there for me to do."

There was now sorrow and worry in Titus' eyes. "But you will come back, will you not? You _must_ come back."

"I can't, Titus. I wish I could explain why, but I can never come back. Where I'm going is . . . is very, very far away, someplace I can't come back from."

"Across the stars."

"Farther even than that." Daniel bent down and met the eyes of the boy, which were now glistening with tears. "If there was any way that I could come back, I would. I'm going to miss you and Decimus. I'll miss you a lot. I want to tell you that I know you're going to be a great library keeper, one who will make Decimus proud, one who would make _me_ proud. So, I want you to study hard and learn all you can."

Titus threw his arms around Daniel tightly. "I will," he whispered, crying in earnest now. "I promise."

Daniel held the youth close for several seconds, then gently pulled away.

"I have to go now." He lightly ruffled the hair of the boy who reminded him so much of himself. "You take good care of Tiberius, okay?"

Titus nodded. He watched as Daniel walked away down the hall. Decimus came up beside him, having heard the conversation.

"Never forget, Titus, that he is a great man," the librarian said solemnly, "a man unlike any other we could ever meet."

The youth nodded. "I know. He is a hero, like in the legends of old. Someday, I will write stories about him."

Smiling at how terribly mortified Daniel would be to hear that, Decimus guided the boy into the library, saying a silent farewell to his friend and wishing him a safe journey across time.

* * *

Daniel hastened his pace. The morning was advancing rapidly, and he didn't know how long it would take him to figure out the device. But he still couldn't go quite yet. There was one more person he had to bid farewell.

After stopping to pick up a lantern, he made his way outside, his steps traveling another familiar route. When he got to the construction site for the gallery, Aulus was bent over some drawings, discussing them with one of his assistants. He spotted Daniel and smiled. He came striding toward the archeologist.

"Daniel! What a pleasant surprise. What. . . ." He came to a sudden halt when he saw what was missing from Daniel's right wrist. His eyes ascended to those of the younger man. Slowly, he covered the remaining distance.

"She set you free," he said in wonder.

"Yes."

"But it has not even been half a year."

Daniel's gaze fell away from his. "Something . . . happened."

"Something you cannot tell me."

"No."

Aulus looked at the heavily-laden satchel hanging from Daniel's shoulder, the lantern in his hand. That's when he realized why the man was there.

"You are leaving. You have come to say goodbye."

Daniel met his eyes again and nodded.

There was now sorrow on Aulus' face. "And you are never coming back."

Daniel sighed. "No. I can't. It wouldn't be possible. I wish I could explain why. I don't belong here, Aulus. This is not where I am meant to be. I belong someplace else."

Aulus searched the face of the man he had come to care about almost like a son. "I have known for a long time now that there was something different about you, something that sets you apart from the rest of us. There is a feeling of destiny about you, Daniel, a feeling that you are meant for great things."

Daniel shook his head. "I'm not meant for great things, Aulus. I'm just an ordinary man, of no great significance."

"I believe that you are wrong, my dear friend, that you do not see what you truly are. I think that history will prove me right." He pulled Daniel into a tight hug. "Gods, I am going to miss you, boy. This place will not be the same without you."

"I'm going to miss you, too, Aulus," Daniel said past the lump in his throat.

The master builder dropped his arms and took a step back. The archeologist scanned his face, wishing that he could tell Aulus the truth. But he couldn't. Though, sober, Aulus would die before revealing Daniel's secret, the master builder sometimes loved his wine a little bit too much, and when he was drunk, he liked to talk. Daniel could not take the chance that, someday, something would slip out.

"Goodbye, Daniel," Aulus said in a sad voice, the slightest glimmer of wetness in his eyes. "Take good care of yourself."

"I will."

The master builder looked back at the gallery. "I will dedicate it to you, a little plaque honoring your part in its construction."

Daniel shook his head. "Don't, Aulus. My name does not belong on it. You built it. It is you who deserves the credit. I only helped a little. Promise me that you won't put my name on it anywhere."

Aulus hesitated a long time before giving a sigh. "I promise."

The two men said a last goodbye, then Daniel turned and left. As he walked through the city, he imprinted a memory of how it was now upon his mind. If all went well, the next time he saw it, it would be an ancient ruin.

At the western edge of the city, Daniel stopped and turned around for one last look. And that's when it hit him. A part of him didn't want to go. For all these months, he'd thought about how much he'd wanted to go home, but now that he was at this point, he knew that he was going to leave a big chunk of his heart behind. He'd found people here that he had come to love, a way of life that he'd learned to enjoy.

So, if he knew with certainty that he could stay here and not adversely affect the future, would he? Daniel's eyes went to the Furling ruins, and the answer came to him. No. Though he really didn't know if any of his future contributions would make much of a difference, he knew that he could not abandon the Stargate Program's fight against the Goa'uld. Besides, he had friends there, too, in that time two thousand years in the future, friends that he missed and wanted to see again.

With a firmer step, Daniel resumed his journey. Some people he passed looked at him with curiosity, then continued with their business. He never paused, wanting to reach his destination as soon as possible.

As Daniel walked, he thought about what he would do if he actually made it back home. His plan all along had been to tell everyone what happened, but now he was starting to wonder if that would be such a good idea. He thought about the rogue members of the NID who were stealing advanced alien technology. What would they do with a device that could send people through time? It was a chilling thought. They would probably stop at nothing to get their hands on it. Could it be kept out of their grasp? There was no telling how many people in high places were involved with that group, how many individuals in the government and the military. There might not be a truly safe, secure place to put the device that would assure that people who shouldn't have it didn't get hold of it.

Daniel hated the idea of lying to everyone, but the dangers in revealing the existence of the device were too great. He could tell just his teammates and ask them to keep the secret. If the level of danger was impressed upon them strongly enough, he was pretty sure that they wouldn't tell anyone, but that would put them in the position of having to lie in their reports. If the truth was ever discovered, Jack and Sam could be court-martialed.

No, there was only one thing he could do. He had to keep the secret to himself. No one could ever know about his trip back in time.

At last, Daniel reached the ruins. Fortunately, there was no one around to witness him going inside. He headed straight to the room with the pedestal. After lighting the wick of the lantern and setting it on the floor of the chamber, he scanned the symbols on the device that he hoped would take him home. He knew the meaning of quite a few of them now, that is if all his work these months had not been in error. Among the things he knew now was which one would open the door.

Confident that he'd be able to reopen it if there was a problem, Daniel pressed the button that would close the door. Nothing happened. Frowning, he pressed it harder. Though the button depressed as it should, the door to the room did not seal the entrance. What was wrong? Why wasn't it working? He tried another button, one that his research indicated would turn on the lights in the room, something he had wanted to avoid doing just in case someone came into the ruins before he got the door shut. It, too, did nothing. He tried a couple more buttons, all with the same result.

Daniel pulled the papers out of his satchel and scanned his notes, looking for something that might give him a clue as to what was wrong. And then he had a sudden, horrible thought. What if it was out of power? Would there be some way to recharge it?

The archeologist's eyes went back to his notes. After a couple of minutes, they fell upon one thing in particular, one of the sayings about which he'd wondered.

_"A door must not be opened in the presence of evil."_

All at once, Daniel understood what its real meaning was, why it was on a wall in this room. With that understanding also came the knowledge of why it was that Egeria and none of the Tok'ra ever discovered that this was a functioning piece of technology. It's because it _wasn't_ functioning – not for them. Somewhere in this device was something that could detect if a Goa'uld symbiote was anywhere in the area. For all he knew, the sensor's range might extend all the way into orbit. As long as any symbiote was here, the device would not work. Apparently, by the time SG-1 had come to Estrania, the sensor no longer functioned, otherwise Teal'c's presence would have shut the device down.

Daniel stared at the thing. What was he going to do? Though it wouldn't be easy, clearing the planet of symbiotes would be possible. The problem was that, to do that, he'd have to tell Egeria the truth. He had full confidence that she would never willingly tell any Goa'uld about it. If he asked her not to, she wouldn't even tell the Tok'ra. She obviously couldn't use it herself, and, even if she _could_ manage to get it to work, he figured that she was smart enough to leave it alone.

No, the problem wasn't Egeria; it was Ra. The Tok'ra did not know the whole story of what happened to Egeria after she was captured. There was a good chance that Ra tortured her before he killed her. That thought made Daniel sick, but he had to face the fact that it was likely.

Egeria was a strong person. He wanted to believe that no amount of torture would make her break. But could he be one hundred percent certain of that? Did the memory recall device exist at this time? If so, what if Ra used it on her to extract information? That thought sent a chill down Daniel's spine. If Ra pulled thoughts of him from her mind, the Goa'uld would recognize him when they met on Abydos and. . . .

_'Crap. Don't think about that. Don't think about the fact that, by coming here, you might have wrought disastrous changes to the timeline.'_

Pushing those thoughts out of his mind, Daniel put his brain back on track. The point was that telling Egeria the truth would be taking a terrible risk, a risk too great to take just to get him back home.

So, what was he going to do now? Find a remote spot on this planet and become a hermit? Go off through the Stargate to an uninhabited world and stay there the rest of his life? Perhaps he could go to Heliopolis, finally get the chance to study that universal language. Would any of the four races still be assembling there at this time in history? If the Furlings were there, maybe he could talk them into sending him back to his time.

Sitting down with his back against the pedestal, Daniel stared morosely at the doorway that stubbornly refused to close. He closed his eyes and rested his head back against the stand. He suddenly felt tired. He'd gotten no sleep to speak of last night, and, now, he felt like all his energy had left him. He needed to make a decision on what he was going to do, but he just felt so weary. All this time, he'd thought about the day he could go home, and, now, he was never going to make it back. He was trapped, stranded in a time that was not his with few options open to him. The only option that he'd truly want to pick was the one he _couldn't_ pick. He could not stay here. His presence in the city, interacting with Egeria and the Tok'ra for however many years he lived, would be far too dangerous.

With a sigh, Daniel picked up his notes and stared at the words and lines he'd translated in the hope that there was something, some clue hidden somewhere that would lead him to some kind of on switch. Yeah, right. Like that was likely. It wouldn't be too bright for the Furlings to have an on switch that any Goa'uld who learned their language could find.

"God, I wish you were here, Sam," he murmured. "I bet you could find the sensor and disable it."

Seeing nothing in his notes, Daniel got up and began going over the writing on the walls of the room. There was writing elsewhere in the ruins as well, but he figured that if there was anything at all that was going to help him, it would be here.

Daniel's instincts drew him to the wall that contained the various sayings. As he scanned the text, it occurred to him that, if you wanted to hide something in plain sight from the Goa'uld, a great way to do it would be to disguise it as something they'd considered worthless. He doubted that there were many Goa'uld that would pay much attention to these kinds of sayings. They'd look upon them as a bunch of silly rubbish, of no value. They certainly wouldn't consider that instructions for the device would be hidden within the words.

During the months that he'd been studying the language, Daniel had devoted only a small portion of his time translating the sayings. He now realized that was a mistake, one that he needed to correct now.

Starting at the top of the wall, Daniel began the slow, laborious task of translating sentences of a language that he still didn't know fully. He'd been at it for around forty minutes when he found one that made him pause.

_"Our thoughts have the power to take us where our feet lack the skill to tread."_

On the surface, one might think that it was talking about the imagination's ability to take a person places that they couldn't go in reality. What made Daniel think it might mean more than that was the saying right below it.

_"If time is a river, the mind is its bridge."_

That seemed to be talking about both imagination and memories. With our memories, we could go back into our own past; with our imagination, we could envision the future and create a picture of the more distant past.

Many people would look upon these two sayings as merely words of wisdom, but they were both present in a room that contained a device that sent people through time, on a journey that you could not take by physically walking – a device that had no visible means to set the date to which you wanted to travel.

Daniel thought about the day he found the device and accidentally activated it. Since that day, he'd wondered why it brought him back to this time. Why this moment in history as opposed to any other? Up until now, he hadn't come up with an answer except that it was a case of pure happenstance. But, now, he was remembering what went through his mind the second before he was engulfed in the light. He'd been thinking that it would have been nice to have known what Goa'uld lived in the place he was about to die. And, lo and behold, he got his wish. The device took him back to a time when he could learn what Goa'uld had lived here.

There was no dial, no clock, no physical settings for controlling where the device sent you. It was all done with thoughts. With the mind, you could cross time.

Daniel looked back at the device. But what good did this do him if he couldn't get the thing to work?

His will hardening, Daniel returned his focus upon the writings. Come on. It had to be here. There had to be a way.

Another hour passed, an hour of Daniel wishing that he'd asked the Asgard for a Furling/English dictionary. There were too many characters of the language that he still couldn't read, too many sentences that he couldn't fully translate. What if the one he needed was among them?

Then his desperate search came to a screeching halt on one sentence.

_"To escape in the presence of evil, one must look in perpetual shadow."_

Daniel blinked and read it again. Huh? It was totally illogical. It made no sense. On a wall filled with a plethora of wise, truthful, and meaningful statements, this one stuck out like a sore thumb. In fact, it seemed to be saying just the opposite of what you'd expect. Evil was always pictured as something of shadows and darkness, whereas light was a metaphor for good. Granted, this was the way _humans_ thought of it, but would the Furlings' way of thinking be the exact opposite?

_"To escape in the presence of evil. . . ."_ It was what he wanted, to escape this time when there were evil Goa'uld symbiotes present all over the place inside Jaffa.

Perpetual shadow. Daniel looked about the room. Right now, there were lots of shadows, but if the lights were turned on, most, if not all of them, would vanish. The doorway had an eastern exposure, which meant that when it and the front entrance to the building were open, the room would be illuminated with the morning sun coming in at an angle. His eyes fell upon the pedestal. There was only one spot in the entire room that would always be in shadow.

Grabbing the lantern, Daniel got down on his hands and knees and looked on the underside of the large dome top of the time device, which, like a mushroom cap, extended far out from the stand upon which it sat. He found more writing there, going all the way around, but there was only one area upon which he focused: the one on the opposite side of the room as the doorway, where there would be a shadow even when the morning sun was coming into the room. That spot contained a lone sentence.

_"On the twelve marks of time's face, six is the key."_

"Great," Daniel muttered. "Of course it couldn't just say, 'Push this button.'"

Daniel got to his feet. He stared in frustration at the device. The twelve marks of time's face. If this was Earth, he'd say it was referring to a clock, but Daniel wasn't seeing any clocks around, so it had to be something else.

That's when he noticed that all the way around the central part of the dome, the part that opened when it activated, were little grooves in the metal. He'd passed them off as simply decorations. He counted them and found that there were twelve. And then he saw something else. So tiny that it would be easily overlooked was a single raised dot right on the rim of the central disk. The dot was in line with the very top groove, what, on an Earth clock, would be the twelve o'clock position. Daniel stared at the groove on the opposite side, the one that would be six o'clock on an Earth clock. The length of the days on this world were virtually the same as Earth's and, again like Earth, had been divided by Egeria into twenty-four units. If the Furlings marked time in similar increments, it was feasible that they'd design clocks with twelve numerical positions, just like Earth did. The problem was that there was no way to know if the numbers were laid out the same. What was the twelve o'clock position on an Earth clock could be the one o'clock position here. There really wasn't any way to know. He just had to make the assumption that the positions were the same.

Praying that he was right, Daniel placed both hands on the central disk and tried to turn it. For several seconds, it refused to move, then slowly, grudgingly, it began to rotate. Daniel turned it until the dot was in line with the six o'clock mark. Beneath his fingertips, he felt the slightest of vibrations. He immediately hit the button to close the door and, much to his relief, watched it slide shut.

Smiling, Daniel looked back down at the device. The smile vanished when he saw that the center disk was slowly turning, making its way back to its original position. Realizing in dismay that the thing was on a timer, Daniel also guessed that he had just one shot at this. If he missed this window of opportunity, he wouldn't get another chance.

Closing his eyes, Daniel pictured in his mind the area as it was or, rather, would be over two thousand years from now. He imagined himself in this room, what he was doing when he activated the device that first time. Knowing that it probably wouldn't mean anything to the device, he also firmly put the date and time in his mind. Then, keeping those images in his thoughts, he opened his eyes and pressed the symbols to activate the time device.

Like on that day months ago, the top of the dome slid open, and a blue orb began to rise from the opening. Daniel stood still, eyes yet again closed, nothing in his mind but the images of what point in time he wanted to go. He heard the hum growing louder as the light from the orb shining through his closed eyelids grew brighter. And then the flash came, engulfing him in brilliance.

Cautiously, Daniel opened his eyes to see the door sliding open. The first thing he noticed was the light shining in through a hole in the roof of the other room.

"Daniel, come in."

The muffled voice made Daniel jump a mile. He stared down at the satchel in surprise.

"Daniel, respond," said the voice that the archeologist now realized was Jack's. He went to the satchel and quickly rummaged through it for his radio.

"I'm here, Jack."

"Where are you? I've been looking for you for the last five minutes."

"Um . . . sorry. I . . . I got caught up in something. Where are you?"

"I'm outside the ruins. I've dragged Carter out of there. It's time to head back to the gate, and I don't want to hear you complaining. So, get your butt out here."

Daniel looked down at what he was wearing. Crap. He never changed his clothes. He'd intended to do so after closing the door.

"Okay, I'll be out in five."

"I'll be counting the seconds."

Daniel hastily pulled his BDU's and other things from the satchel. After removing his sandals and the loincloth, he got his boxers on, then pulled off the tunic. Pants, T-shirt, socks, boots, vest and sidearm were donned with lightning speed. He did not put on the jacket, which was wrapped around the vase. Very glad that he'd had the foresight to stick all his things back in their original vest pockets before leaving the palace, Daniel stuffed all his notes in one of the pockets and put his Roman clothing in the satchel. After blowing out the wick of the lantern, he hid it and the satchel in a small alcove in the wall. He ran a hand through his hair to smooth it down, picked up the vase, and exited the ruins.

Jack was looking at his watch as Daniel approached his teammates.

"You're late," the colonel said.

"Sorry."

Daniel couldn't stop himself from smiling as he looked at his fellow members of SG-1, thinking that it was really great to see them.

"What's the smile for?" Sam asked, returning it.

"Oh, nothing. I just had a pleasant thought, that's all."

"Well, _my_ pleasant thought is to get back home in time to at least catch the second half of the game," Jack responded.

Sam noticed that there appeared to be something wrapped in Daniel's jacket. "What's that?" she asked.

Daniel carefully unwrapped the vase. "It's a vase, seventh century Roman."

"You found it in the ruins?"

Daniel paused only a moment before replying. "Yeah."

Sam looked at the vase. "It's beautiful. It looks brand new. It's amazing that it managed to survive."

"Yes, it's in excellent condition. If it's all right with General Hammond, I'd like to take it home."

"I don't see why he wouldn't allow it. After all, it's only a vase."

Daniel smiled secretly, wondering what she'd say if he told her the truth.

"Yeah, only a vase," he murmured.

* * *

Yes, I know, I know. A lot of you wanted Daniel to stay or for him to take Egeria with him, but that just couldn't be done. I will go into the reasons why in the author's notes at the end of the story. But don't give up hope yet. I promised you a surprise, remember? 


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

As SG-1 headed down the road toward the city, Daniel was busy adjusting to the here and now. It was so strange to look across the fields and see wild grass, brush and weeds instead of crops and livestock, to see piles of rubble where stone cottages and houses that he recently passed had stood.

When they reached the city, Daniel's stared at the buildings that, only a short while ago, he saw whole and undamaged. It saddened him that this city that Egeria loved so well had been reduced to this.

Their path through the city did not take them past the gallery that he helped to build, something for which Daniel was glad. He didn't want to see the structure that was Aulus' pride and joy in ruins.

When they drew abreast of the palace, Daniel could not help but stop and look at it. His eyes went to the left, to where the east garden used to be, and he thought about all the conversations he'd had there with Egeria. His gaze then went to the west side of the palace, to where _his_ garden had been, the one that was destroyed then created anew especially for him.

Daniel felt a soft hand placed upon his shoulder. He turned to see Sam looking at him in concern.

"Daniel, are you all right?" she asked, searching his eyes.

The archeologist took a deep breath and let it out. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm all right."

Just then, the wind shifted, and he caught a very faint scent on the air, one that made him smile in surprise.

"Do you smell that?" he asked.

Sam drew in a deep breath. "Yeah. It's wonderful. Is it some kind of flower?"

"Let's check it out."

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," Jack complained. "You want to detour to go look at a flower?"

"It'll only take a few minutes, Jack. Besides, it'll give me a chance to take a closer look at the palace."

Mumbling something unintelligible, Jack reluctantly followed Daniel and Sam, Teal'c taking up the rear. The archeologist headed unerringly toward the west side of the palace, not needing his nose to tell him where he'd find the flowers that were producing that scent.

There was not much left of the wall that had surrounded the garden. SG-1 found a place where there was a huge gap blasted all the way through it and stepped into the remains of what used to be the west garden. Daniel turned toward the palace . . . and almost gasped. Most of the entryway he'd created and the walls coming off it were gone, turned to a pile of rubble, but the wisteria-like vine has survived the destruction. It had covered the debris and spread to the remains of the palace's west wall. It was enormous and bursting with flowers, a blazing display of the deepest, most intense royal blue.

"Holy Hannah," Sam murmured, clearly awed by the incredible floral display. "That color is amazing."

"Yeah, it's really something else," Daniel murmured, remembering so clearly the day he and Egeria discovered the vine.

"Hey! Look what I found!" Jack exclaimed.

Daniel turned to him and looked at what was in his hands. Oh, God. Why, why, why of all things in this whole city did that have to be something that survived?

"Don't you think it kind of looks like Daniel?" Jack asked, grinning.

Sam studied the statue. "You're right, sir, it does. Actually, the resemblance is uncanny."

"I don't have that many muscles," Daniel mumbled, wanting so desperately to disappear right into the ground.

"True," Jack agreed. "It is closer to Teal'c in that regard than you, but the face is almost spot on. Hey, maybe it was a relative of yours who posed for it."

"Oh, sure, Jack, a cousin a hundred or so times removed."

The colonel tucked the statue under his arm.

"What are you doing?" Daniel asked.

"I'm taking it with me as a souvenir."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"Not."

"Are too." Jack smiled smugly. "Just try and stop me."

Daniel turned his back on the man and strode out of the ruins of the garden. "This is not amusing," he muttered.

"Yes, it is!" Jack crowed.

Daniel decided that he was right before. The Fates _did_ exist, and they _were_ having fun toying with him.

Studiously ignoring Jack and the object he was carrying, Daniel traveled the rest of the way to the gate with his team. As he dialed the address for Earth, he bid a silent farewell to Egeria's city.

The shower Daniel took in the locker room felt incredible. He wanted to just stand under the spray and soak it in. Never again would he take hot showers for granted, not after months of bathing in a river.

Daniel was in the midst of putting on his shoes when Jack said something that made him freeze.

"That's an odd tan line. I don't recall seeing that before."

Daniel looked down at his right wrist. A faint tan line was visible where the slave bracelet had been.

The archeologist did some quick thinking. "Um . . . I probably got that last weekend. I was out in the sun a lot and had, uh, something wrapped around my wrist."

Jack studied him. "Yeah, now that I'm paying attention, you do look like you got a wee bit of a tan." He frowned. "Have you let your hair grow out a little?"

Daniel touched his hair. He hadn't had time to have it cut in a while. He'd hoped that no one would notice.

"A bit," he replied.

Jack turned back to the task of getting dressed. "You know, I'm thinking that statue just wouldn't work well for my place. Not my style, you know. It occurs to me that I really should give it to the Archeology Department. After all, it is an artifact. They could put it on display in that room where some of the other artifact things are."

Daniel glared at Jack, seeing the little smirk hovering around his lips.

"You wouldn't."

"What's the matter, Daniel? You have something against statuary?"

"Jack, I'm warning you. If that statue ends up being displayed _anywhere_, I'll tell everyone about that time you got drunk on the beer brewed by the inhabitants of M5D-810 and made a pass at the hundred-ten-year-old great-great-grandmother of the chieftain."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Oh, now that's a low blow, Daniel. I had one mug! How was I to know that the stuff was at least two hundred proof? And she didn't look that old!"

Daniel was unmoved by his complaint. "It's up to you, Jack."

The colonel stewed for a few seconds longer, then reached under the bench and very reluctantly handed the statue over to Daniel.

"You have absolutely no sense of humor," he grumbled. "So, what are _you_ going to do with it?"

Daniel promptly stuffed it in his locker and buried it under a pile of socks. "That looks like a good place for it."

Several times during the debriefing, Daniel almost told everyone what happened, but every time he started to open his mouth to say the words, he thought about what he'd decided and remained silent. If he was in the military, it would be his duty to report what happened. That was one advantage of being a civilian; he didn't have to worry about being court-martialed for keeping secrets.

As he got dressed into his civvies that evening, Daniel's eyes kept going to the pile of socks on the bottom shelf. He finally pushed them away to reveal what was underneath. Glancing about to make sure no one was around, he pulled the statue out and stared at it. He thought about how much it had embarrassed him when he first saw it and the matching one. Then he thought about what inspired Egeria to have them sculpted. He ran a finger over the chipped and cracked surface, amazed that it had sustained so little damage.

Deciding that it wouldn't be right for this symbol of Egeria's regard for him to be buried under a pile of socks, Daniel made room for it in the box that contained the vase, which the general had said that he could keep.

Once Daniel got to his apartment, he removed the vase from the box, then put the box, with the statue still inside, up in his closet. After that, he rearranged some things in his display case to make room for the vase. He then stood and stared at it for a long time.

Did his trip back in time change anything? Did his actions alter history in any way? How much longer did it take Egeria to decide on her own to make her break from the Goa'uld when he wasn't there to nudge her in that direction? Could it be that, because of his interference, Egeria was able to spawn a few more Tok'ra?

There really was only one way that he could find out. He'd have to go back to the Tok'ra and study the records he did before, look for any differences from last time. But the Tok'ra would want to know why he was looking at the records again. Perhaps it would be best just to forget it.

As he kept staring at the vase, Daniel was suddenly filled with regret. He should have told Egeria that he forgave her. He should have said that he couldn't hold against her something that had happened accidentally and without her knowledge. She'd made a mistake, lost control and let her desire take over, but it was a mistake that many people made. She wasn't perfect, and even the strongest of people could sometimes falter.

With a sigh, Daniel turned away from the case and headed off to bed.

The days that followed passed uneventfully. In the beginning, Daniel felt a little guilty about keeping the secret from his friends, but he decided that they'd agree that keeping the device out of the hands of the rogue NID was of utmost importance.

Unwilling to keep hidden all the work he'd done on learning the Furling language in case they ever needed it in the future, Daniel decided to say that, while in the ruins, he'd videotaped all the writing. That would allow him to pretend to go through the process of learning the language over the next few months. He copied all the stuff he had on the language and put it in a password-protected file, then destroyed the papers.

It was two weeks after Daniel's return from his trip back in time that the SGC was contacted by the Tok'ra. They had just learned some important information about the Goa'uld that might require a joint mission with an SG team, and the High Council wanted to discuss it. Because the entire council could not come to Earth, it was decided that SG-1 and General Hammond would go to the Tok'ra base.

The meeting lasted for three hours, at the end of which it was decided that SG-1 would go on the mission with a small force of Tok'ra. Since they would be leaving first thing in the morning, SG-1 would be staying on the base overnight rather than going back to Earth, then returning.

For about an hour after General Hammond had left, Daniel wandered around the base, trying to fight his curiosity about the historical records. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and asked someone if he could take a look at their records on Egeria and the beginnings of the Tok'ra. It was not the person who'd helped him the other time, so he was hoping that no one would find out that he was looking at them again.

Daniel was given a crystal with the information he wanted and was led to a computer terminal. For the next two hours, he scoured the records, looking for differences, some small way that history had been changed, but he couldn't find anything. Everything appeared to be exactly the same as what he recalled reading the first time. Daniel was relieved that his presence hadn't negatively messed with the timeline.

He was just about to call it quits when something jumped out at him. It was a copy of something written by Egeria that was discovered in the building in which she had been hiding when Ra found her. Egeria, knowing that she was living on borrowed time and would likely soon be found and killed, had talked about how she did not regret what she had done. Daniel recalled reading it when he was there before. At the time, he had wondered about the last few sentences. Those sentences now riveted his attention.

_"I still think of my dearest friend and wonder about the life he had after we said goodbye. Did he find happiness with someone and have children? Are his descendants out there in the galaxy somewhere? After all these years, I still miss him. If there is some kind of life after death, I hope that I will meet him there."_

Daniel's heart rate began to increase. There could be no doubt in his mind who Egeria's words were talking about, who that dearest friend was. But if he was right, it meant that. . . .

"Oh my God," he whispered.

"Daniel, are you all right?"

The archeologist started violently and turned to look at Jacob.

"You looked like you just received a big shock," Sam's father said. "Is something wrong?"

Daniel calmed himself with an effort. "I-I . . . no. Everything's fine."

Jacob came up to him. "I just found out from Genrah that you were here taking a look at the records on Egeria and the start of the Tok'ra movement. Didn't you look at those several months ago?"

Crap. Daniel's eyes darted away from Jacob. "Um . . . yeah. I needed to . . . to check something."

Jacob sat beside him, an amused smile on his face. "You know, you really should work on improving your ability not to show it when you're trying to hide something."

Daniel sighed. Busted.

"So, care to share?" Jacob asked.

Daniel looked at him. "I'd like to, Jacob, but it involves a . . . really big secret."

"Does this have something to do with the SGC?"

"No, it's . . . personal."

"Personal? And this personal issue has something to do with the history of the Tok'ra?"

Daniel studied Jacob. Should he tell him? If he did, the Tok'ra would probably want to retrieve the time device. In their hands at least it would be safe from the rogue NID. And he wouldn't have to worry about _them_ using it. They'd know it would be foolish to mess with the timeline enough to make a difference in their fight.

One thing's for sure. It would be quite a shock to all of them. Actually, Daniel wasn't sure if he'd want all the Tok'ra to know. That could be pretty embarrassing. Not only that, but there would be the danger that some spy in their ranks would find out. Speaking of spies, what if Tanith found out? They were using the man to unwittingly pass on false information to the Goa'uld, but something this big would be hard to keep secret from him.

"Ummm . . . how good are you and Selmak at keeping secrets?" Daniel asked.

"Daniel, the entire Tok'ra movement is founded upon secrecy, and, as a general, I had to keep my fair share of secrets as well."

"Yes, but I'm talking about keeping a secret from everyone, the other Tok'ra, Stargate Command, everybody."

Jacob frowned. "Okay, Daniel, tell me what's going on."

"I can't, Jacob, not unless it can stay between you and me. A lot is riding on this. I'm not exaggerating when I say that, if the wrong people found out, the fate of the whole galaxy could be put on the line."

The Tok'ra studied Daniel closely. "You're not kidding, are you." Jacob was silent for a moment. "All right. Selmak says that, if it turns out to really be that important, we won't tell anyone."

"Fair enough. Is there someplace we can talk in private?"

"We can go to my quarters. It has no door, but it's about as private as we can get short of leaving the tunnels."

Daniel thought about some Tok'ra passing by Jacob's quarters and overhearing something that was said.

"Um, what time of the day is it here? Is there still a lot of daylight left?"

Jacob smiled slightly. "I'm guessing that question means that my quarters aren't private enough. Okay, there is another option. We have a cloaked Tel'tak hiding on the surface. It's the one we'll be using on the mission tomorrow. Will that be private enough?"

"Yes, that should do."

They went topside and traveled the short distance to the ship. Once inside, they took a seat in the cockpit.

"Okay, Daniel. The floor's all yours."

"Two weeks ago, we went on a mission to a planet that turned out to be where Egeria lived two thousand years ago, at the time that she rebelled against the Goa'uld."

"Estrania. Selmak was born there."

"Um . . . yeah. There's not much left of the place."

"No, there wouldn't be. After Egeria was declared an enemy of Ra and the rest of the Goa'uld, Ra sent ships to Estrania to level the place. There wasn't anyone there, though. Egeria had been planning her trip to Earth for years. She knew that there was a very good chance that, regardless of whether or not she succeeded in stopping the taking of people from Earth, the Goa'uld would learn that she was behind it. She sent hundreds of builders to another planet, one that she believed would be safe, and had them build thousands of houses and shelters for Estrania's human inhabitants, enough to contain the entire population, though it would be far from luxurious accommodations. She also had crops planted, livestock brought over, and everything else that would be needed to sustain the population. It took quite a while before it was ready. Once all the people had been moved there, she told them that they needed to bury the gate, that it was the only way they would be safe. The planet was beyond the edge of Goa'uld-controlled space at that time and had no Naquadah, so there would have been no reason for the Goa'uld to travel there by ship."

Daniel wasn't surprised. The woman he knew wouldn't have left her subjects to suffer because of her actions.

He then had a thought. "What was the planet's address?"

"I don't know what the SGC's designation would be, but I could give you the symbols." Using the ship's computer, he generated the address. Daniel smiled upon seeing it.

"You know it?" Jacob asked, seeing the smile.

"Yeah, I know it." It was Egeria's "flower" planet, the one with the Ancient ruins. Daniel had to wonder if the descendants of Egeria's people were still living there. Maybe, someday, he'd find out.

Daniel continued with his narrative. "While we were on Estrania, we found some ruins west of the city that were a great deal older than it."

Jacob nodded. "Selmak remembers them. They're what's left of a civilization that lived on the planet before Egeria arrived. The Tok'ra never found out who they were or what happened to them."

"I know who they were. It was the Furlings. I recognized the language."

Jacob blinked. "Wow. That's news. I wonder why they abandoned the place."

"That I don't know." Daniel paused a moment. "Did Selmak ever go inside?"

"Sure. He's no archeologist, but he was naturally curious about the place."

"Does he recall the thing that sits in a room off the front chamber? It was made of metal and is kind of similar to a DHD, except that the top isn't tilted at an angle and doesn't have the big orange thing in the middle."

Jacob nodded. "He says that he has a vague memory of it. Why do you ask?"

"Because it sent me back in time over two thousand years."

The Tok'ra blinked and stared at Daniel.

Daniel continued. "At first, I thought that maybe I'd hit my head and was dreaming or hallucinating or something. But it wasn't a dream or a hallucination. It was real, and I can prove it to you. How well does Selmak remember Egeria's palace?"

Jacob's head bowed for a moment. When it lifted, it was Selmak who spoke.

"I remember it well. My first host enjoyed the gardens and sitting out on the balconies. Her favorite garden was the one on the north side because most of it was shady and cool in the heat of summer."

Daniel nodded. "There was a fountain in the center with the figure of a rearing horse. The water came out of its mouth. All around the fountain were cobblestones, and white marble benches were positioned on four sides. There were flowering bushes that looked a little like small rhododendrons, and a tree that looked a lot like a miniature version of an oak. The colors of the flowers were mostly yellows, oranges and pinks."

Selmak was gaping at him. "You are right. That is as I remember it. Though it is possible that something remains of the fountain and the benches to this day, you could not have known about what grew there unless. . . ."

"Someone told me or I was there two thousand years ago and saw it for myself. I can tell you more. Ask me questions about the throne room, the kitchen, the library . . . the small room off a side corridor that held the sarcophagus. There wasn't much of the palace that I didn't see. And, if that's still not enough, I've got videos back on Earth. I had my video camera with me."

It was Jacob who spoke next. "Daniel, this is incredible. Selmak is having me do the talking because he wants to devote all his attention to absorbing this. You were actually there, two thousand years ago when Egeria was there? Exactly what time period?"

"It was before, Jacob. When I arrived, Egeria was still a Goa'uld."

"Oh, boy."

"Yeah. Not long after I arrived, I was grabbed by some Jaffa. I thought my goose was cooked when I was brought before the Goa'uld. When she told me her name, I almost shouted."

Jacob leaned forward. "What happened then?"

"I made up a story that I was a traveler from another world and had come through the Stargate. I'd noticed that there were some comings and goings through the gate, so I hoped that it would be a plausible story."

Jacob's head nodded. "Egeria welcomed merchants and traders to come and barter with her and her subjects. A lot of things on Estrania were quite different from other Goa'uld worlds. Even before she started the Tok'ra movement, Egeria believed that giving her people a large measure of freedom and the ability to enjoy their lives would make them worship her out of respect and love rather than fear."

"Yeah, well, I screwed up. I'd gone into the temple without an offering, which was considered an act of offense and insult against Egeria. After I apologized profusely and explained that I didn't know the laws, she decided to be lenient. Instead of a harsher punishment, she chose to make me a slave for one year."

"Damn."

Daniel told Jacob about his escape attempt, then went on to recount how, after being there almost a month, Egeria decided to make him a palace slave.

"I wondered about when it was that she would start seeing the light, so to speak," he said. "I was able to calculate that it was going to be pretty soon, within a few years. I kept thinking that, if it happened while I was there, she'd let me go free."

Daniel's mind went back to the true beginnings of his relationship with the Goa'uld queen. "Much to my surprise, Egeria and I began developing a friendship. Even at the beginning, she was a lot different from every other Goa'uld I've met or heard about. As more time passed, and the more our friendship developed, the greater those differences became." Daniel paused for a moment. "I'd been there for around three and a half Earth months when Egeria told me that she thought of me as one of the only true friends she'd ever had."

"Whoa."

"Yeah. I was pretty blown away." He paused again. "That was the day I got my idea."

"What idea?"

"I decided that it couldn't hurt if I started to, um, sort of . . . steer her in the right direction."

Jacob stared at him. "Daniel, are you saying that you tried to get Egeria to change her thinking regarding the host and symbiote relationship?"

"Yeah."

"That was awfully dangerous. Most Goa'uld would have had you killed for even suggesting something like that."

"I know, but I knew that, eventually, she was going to think that way, so I figured it was worth the risk. And . . . and it worked."

"What?" There was surprise in Jacob's voice.

"It worked."

Daniel told Jacob about the things he said to Egeria in his efforts to get her to talk to her host. He recounted when she finally took the step and decided that it was not an unpleasant experience. He then went on to tell the rest of the story, leaving out the most personal things, like Egeria's love for him, her request that he provide the DNA for the symbiotes, his death, and the night that she did get the DNA. He ended his account with the birth of the first Tok'ra and her setting him free.

As he fell silent, Jacob simply stared at him for a very long time. When the silence was finally broken, it was by Selmak.

"Daniel, if what you say is true, then, in this version of history, the Tok'ra owe in large part their existence to you."

Daniel's gaze dropped to the hands he had folded in his lap. "There's . . . there's more."

"What?"

"If you weren't already sitting down, I'd tell you to do so now." Daniel took a deep breath. "It . . . it was my DNA that Egeria used for the first batches of larvae. I don't know how many she got out of it, but she said that, at the very least, it would be several hundred."

"Holy Hannah!"

Daniel almost laughed at hearing those words spoken with Selmak's voice.

Jacob took over from Selmak, who was reeling from the news. "Daniel, this is. . . . Selmak has no words, and I'm struggling for ones, too. Do you realize that Selmak was one of the first Tok'ra spawned by Egeria? It means that your DNA is within him. It is also a part of several others who still live, including High Councillor Per'sus."

Daniel had been wondering if Selmak was among the Tok'ra spawned with his DNA. Wow, that was so . . . mind-blowing, that the symbiote inside the man before him contained his genetic code and might even be one of the symbiotes he saw in that tank. He thought about the especially curious one that played with his hand. Could it be? No, that would probably be too much of a coincidence.

"There's one more thing," he said. "I'm assuming Selmak has read the copy of the things that Egeria wrote just before Ra captured her."

"Yes."

"Does he recall the last few sentences?"

"I am afraid not. It has been centuries since he read it."

Daniel quoted the words from memory. "She was talking about me, Jacob. Selmak probably doesn't remember this, but, in the west garden, there was a statue of a scholar. The inscription on it was in an ancient form of the Etruscan language and said, 'To my dearest, most trusted friend.' That dedication was to me. The thing is that that quote in your records was already there when I came here and read the history the first time, _before_ I went back in time. Now, I don't pretend to know much about time travel, but I can't think of anything else that would mean except that I didn't _alter_ history when I went back, I _repeated_ it, like . . . like some kind of gigantic loop in time. I did it all before, went back in time, met Egeria, and guided her into creating the Tok'ra."

Selmak took over. "If you are right, Daniel, it means that if it were not for you going back in time and making the decision to guide Egeria, the Tok'ra would never have come to be."

Daniel shook her head. "I don't think so, Selmak. I think that, eventually, Egeria would have done it on her own. It would have happened a bit later in history, but I really think it would have happened even without me."

"That could be, Daniel, but love can be a great motivator. It can make us do things that we never would have done otherwise." Selmak paused. "She was in love with you, wasn't she."

Daniel's gaze fell to the floor. He let out a soft sigh. "Yeah."

The Tok'ra nodded. "There are things I've wondered about that make sense to me now. You know how, sometimes, a parent can have a favorite among their children? Well, from as far back as I can recall, Egeria always treated the first ones of us just a little differently, especially the ones she spawned on that first day, which she said marked both one of the brightest and one of the saddest moments of her life."

Selmak's last words upset Daniel. It hurt to think of Egeria looking upon that day that should have been one of triumph and celebration as one also of sorrow.

"She once said something else that really puzzled me," Selmak told him. "She said that she could see our father in some of us."

That made Daniel blush brightly. "Selmak, I-I'm not your father."

The Tok'ra smiled. "I do know that, Daniel. I am aware of how it works." He became serious again. "But I do think that, in Egeria's eyes, you were. Of course, she knew better than anyone that, technically, that's not true, but we did carry a part of your DNA, just like a human son or daughter, and, metaphorically speaking, you could say that you are our father in the same way that some man who brings about the creation of some object or concept is called its father."

Daniel recalled what Egeria had said about the Tok'ra being his children as much as they were hers.

When the Tok'ra spoke again a few seconds later, it was with Jacob's voice. "So, why didn't you tell the SGC about this? This is a big deal, something that people involved in the Stargate Program would definitely want to know."

"I didn't say anything because of that time travel device. You do know about the trouble we had with rogue members of the NID stealing alien technology, don't you?"

"Yes. As you are aware since you were one of the lead diplomats, that was disclosed during the Earth/Tok'ra treaty discussions."

"Well, we haven't caught them all. In fact, we probably barely scratched the surface with Makepiece, Maybourne and the others. Think about what people like that would do with a device that could send them back to any time in history."

"I am, and it's a scary thought."

"Yeah. I decided that I couldn't take the chance that, even if we hid it away somewhere, they'd get their hands on it."

Jacob nodded. "I have to agree. It would be too big of a risk."

Daniel stared closely at Selmak. "It's also too big of a risk for the Tok'ra to know about it. You've had trouble in the past with spies in your ranks, and you've got one here right now."

"Tanith. He was sent out on a bogus assignment to keep him from finding out about this mission."

"Well, what if he found out about that thing? What if some spy you don't know about found out? What would a Goa'uld do to get hold of a device that they could use to go back in time and arrange things so that they achieved ultimate power?"

"I don't think there's anything that they _wouldn't_ do."

"Exactly."

Jacob frowned deeply. "You're right, Daniel. This is something that no one can know about." The frown deepened even more. "That device needs to be destroyed."

"I thought about that. Of course, at the time, I had no idea how I could sneak back to the planet to do it. But then I thought about what the future might bring. What if some horrible calamity struck, like the Goa'uld attacking Earth?"

"You're thinking that the device could be used to go back and undo it."

"Yeah."

"That may not be possible. As you said yourself, your trip back in time didn't change history; you were just repeating what you'd already done before."

"Yeah, we sort of did that once before when we went back to 1969. We'd obviously been there previously since General Hammond knew to give Sam that note so that his past self would get it and help us. Sam and I talked about it afterwards, and she said that there must have been a first time, a beginning of the loop, when we _didn't_ get any help from Hammond. So, wouldn't the same thing apply this time, too?"

Jacob smiled. "I'm afraid that the whole time travel thing gives me a headache. Unlike SG-1, the Tok'ra have no experience with it."

"Yes, well, it's starting to become a habit for us. First, there was the trip back to 1969, then that incident with the time loop caused by that Ancient device on P4X-639, and, now, this. I have to wonder what's next on the time travel agenda."

Jacob let out a little chuckle. "The point I was going to make was that it may not be possible to make big changes to the timeline."

"But you can make little ones? Like changing things so that someone helps us get home from 1969? Not to sound conceited or anything, but if we never got back home, I can think of a few pretty big things that would have happened a lot differently, like, for example, the Replicator problem."

The Tok'ra nodded. "Point taken. I suppose I'm just trying to make a case for destroying that thing. Leaving it there to be stumbled upon by a Goa'uld or some other person who happens to go there makes me really nervous, although it's been sitting there for several thousand years without being discovered . . . except by you."

Daniel thought about it. It did make him a bit nervous, too, especially since, apparently, the Goa'uld sensor no longer worked. But to destroy it would also destroy their ability to reverse some calamitous event that might take place in the future.

"What if we took it apart?" he suddenly asked.

"Took it apart?"

"Yeah, dismantled it and hid the pieces here and there."

"Hmm. That could work, that is if there's a way to take it apart without damaging it."

"Well, I guess the only way to know would be to go there and look at it."


	20. Chapter 20

**IMPORTANT: Please read the note at the end. It has some important information that I think will make a lot of you very happy.**

CHAPTER TWENTY

The mission went well. They accomplished their goal, and, better than that, nobody got killed. After arriving back at the Tok'ra base, they discussed the results.

"Well, not that this hasn't been a hoot," Jack said after the meeting was over, "but it's time for us to be getting home."

"Wouldn't it be somewhere around three in the morning there?" Jacob asked.

Sam glanced at her watch. "Yes, it would. No wonder I'm tired."

"Why not just stay and get a full night's sleep, then? You can head back in the morning. The SGC has already been contacted and told that the mission was a success."

After mulling it over in his head, and hearing from his team that they were fine with that, Jack agreed.

The members of SG-1 said good night and went off to their individual quarters. Daniel had been in his for around five minutes when he heard a knocking sound.

"Knock, knock," said Jacob's voice from the other side of the material that had been draped over the opening for privacy, something the Tok'ra did not do for their own quarters.

"Come in," Daniel responded.

Jacob pushed aside the cloth and came in. "I've been thinking about that . . . issue we discussed before."

"Yeah, me too. I couldn't think of any way that I could manage to go."

"Actually, I came up with an idea, but it will require us being a bit sneaky."

Straight-faced, Daniel said, "Sneaky? A Tok'ra being sneaky? Now, there's a concept."

Jacob stared at him, a little smile on his face. "Are you aware, Daniel, that you are starting to sound like Jack?"

Daniel made a face. "Yeah, I know. He's a bad influence on me. So, what is this sneaky plan?"

In a low voice to avoid being overheard, Jacob explained what he had in mind.

"I'm not sure Jack will go for it," Daniel told him.

"It'll only be for a couple of days, and I doubt you have another mission scheduled this soon. Will you need to be there for tomorrow's debriefing?"

"I doubt it. It's not like I'd have anything to contribute to it. I was pretty much just along for the ride on this mission."

Jacob heard a little note in Daniel's voice, but didn't say anything about it.

"I guess all we can do is ask," he said.

* * *

"So, everybody ready to get out of here?" Jack asked the next morning as he met up with his team. Jacob was there as well.

"Actually, Jack, I'd like Daniel to stay behind for a bit," the Tok'ra told him. He quickly held up his hand. "Now, before you say anything, let me explain. It isn't a mission, and he won't be in any danger. It'll be two days at the most."

Jack stared at the man suspiciously. "So, what do you want him for?"

"A translation job. There are some ruins that we've suspected for a while might have some important information contained in the writing, but none of us can translate it. I'm hoping that Daniel might be able to help."

The colonel's gaze shifted to the archeologist. "Did you already know about this?"

"Jacob approached me about it last night. I'm fine with it, Jack. At least I'll be of more use than I was on the mission."

Jacob glanced sharply at Daniel, hearing that note in his voice again.

Jack frowned. "I can't say that I'm happy about this. Can't it wait? Then we could all go there."

Daniel sighed in exasperation. "Jack, in case you didn't notice, I'm a big boy. I think I can handle being on my own with Jacob. You, Sam or Teal'c wouldn't have anything to do while we were there. You'd just be twiddling your thumbs."

Hearing the irritation in Daniel's voice, Jack relented. "All right. If Hammond gives a green light, you can go." He looked at Jacob. "But you'd better return him in the same condition he left in."

"I promise that I will keep him all in one piece, Jack."

Hammond approved of the plan, so it was just Jack, Sam and Teal'c who departed through the gate. A short while later, Daniel and Jacob left as well, but the address they dialed was not the one for the planet with the waiting translation.

As they exited Estrania's Stargate, Jacob began looking around, the symbiote inside him saddened by what he saw. Selmak took over control.

"I never returned here after we evacuated," he said. "I didn't see any point to it. Some of the others did and told me about the destruction." He sighed. "Actually seeing it for myself is a great deal more difficult. It was a beautiful city." He glanced at his companion. "But then, you already know that." He shook himself out of his melancholy. "We must get going. We do not have a great deal of time."

As they walked, Daniel glanced often at the man beside him. Selmak's gaze was going everywhere, the look in his eyes telling Daniel that he was recalling how it looked when he lived there.

When they reached the palace, they both stopped.

"I have a lot of good memories of the years I lived there," Selmak murmured.

Daniel glanced at him. "Do you remember a man named Decimus? He looked after Egeria's library of scrolls and books and did the translations for her."

Selmak frowned for a moment, then his face cleared. "Ah, yes. I remember him." He smiled. "He was quite a man."

"Yes, he was."

"He lived to a shockingly old age compared to the average life span of the human citizens here."

"How old was he when he died?"

"Oh, if I recall correctly, I believe he was in his mid-nineties."

Daniel couldn't help it. He started smiling. He then gave a little laugh. "I told him once that I had no doubt that he'd live to be at least ninety. I'm glad that I was right. What about Titus? When I left, he'd recently become Decimus' apprentice."

Selmak nodded. "I remember him well. A fine, intelligent man. He took over as the keeper of the library after Decimus died. He was still in that position when the population was moved. He loved languages. He knew quite a few, from what I recall, although he claimed that he once had a friend who knew even more." Seeing the look on Daniel's face, he said, "He was talking about you."

"Probably so. Decimus made me tell him how many I knew so that he'd have a . . . 'worthy goal' to aim for."

Seeing something flicker in Daniel's eyes, Selmak said, "You cared about Decimus a great deal."

"Yeah. I still do. For me, it's only been a little over two weeks since we said goodbye. It's hard for me to grasp that he's actually been dead for two thousand years." Daniel paused. "Um, what about Aulus Horatius. He was Egeria's master builder."

"Aulus. I recall him vaguely. I met him only on a few occasions. It seems to me that he died some nine or ten years after I blended with my first host."

Daniel nodded, happy that the first friend he made on Estrania also had a long life.

He noticed that Selmak was now staring at him quite intently.

"What?"

"I have a vague memory of something. It has been so long that the details have escaped me, but, now that I am thinking about it. . . . In the west garden there was a stone arch, quite beautiful, with many reliefs. I remember that there was a statue of Egeria there, but there were also statues of a man—"

Daniel let out a groan. "I _knew_ it! I just _knew_ that at least one of you would remember!"

"Then my memory is not playing tricks on me. The statues _were_ of you."

"Yes, an example of Egeria's sense of humor, I think. I was the one who designed the stone arch. It was only supposed to have the statue of Egeria on top, but she secretly had those ones of me made. I was not thrilled when I saw them."

Selmak let out a chuckle. "I can imagine that you weren't."

They resumed their journey, the Tok'ra sharing little memories with Daniel about the city as they walked, Daniel, in turn, telling him about some of his experiences. Selmak came to a complete halt when the archeologist revealed one thing in particular. It was Jacob, however, who spoke.

"Chocolate? You actually introduced chocolate here?"

"Well, it was only something _like_ chocolate since it wasn't made with cacao beans. Egeria loved it."

Jacob chuckled. "Selmak is busy laughing. His first host loved it as well. He had to keep curbing her yen for it to avoid her getting fat. He says it's nice to know who was responsible for the constant battle they had to wage over the girth of Prisca's waistline."

Daniel gave him an apologetic look. "Sorry."

"Well, at least this answers the question of how they had chocolate here centuries before it was created on Earth. I kind of wondered about that."

They did not stop again. They covered the remaining distance to the Furling ruins, Daniel asking questions about Egeria on the way.

As they entered the room with the time device, Jacob stared at it.

"Selmak is saying that he's amazed that this incredible piece of technology was here all that time, and none of them had any clue what it was."

"Well, there's no way they could have known. It wouldn't have worked for any of them."

Jacob looked at him. "It wouldn't?"

"Oh, uh, that's right. I didn't really get into that, did I. The device apparently had some kind of sensor that could detect the presences of Goa'uld symbiotes. As long as one was anywhere around, it wouldn't work. The sensor must have stopped working at sometime because, otherwise, the device wouldn't have worked with Teal'c being here."

"So, how did you figure this out?"

"From some of the text on the walls. That's also how I learned how to temporarily bypass the sensor and turn the thing on so that I could get home."

Jacob walked up to the device and studied it. After a moment, he asked, "So, how do you set the date you want to travel to?"

"You don't. You control where you're going by thinking about it."

Jacob gave him a look. "By thinking about it?"

"Don't ask me how it does it, Jacob. That's all I know. I got sent back to Egeria's time because of a random thought I had at the moment the device activated, and I managed to get back to this time by picturing it in my mind."

"So, how did you figure _that_ out? Wait. Don't tell me. By the writing on the walls."

Daniel explained everything to him, what he'd read and the things he'd deduced from them.

Jacob shook his head. "Daniel, you do realize, don't you, that there are probably a relative handful of people who could have figured that out, even if they knew the language fluently."

"I'm sure there are a whole lot of people who could have done it."

"I don't think so. _I_ sure couldn't have. I'd have looked at all those sayings and thought they were nothing more than what they appeared to be. You are right about one thing, though. The Goa'uld would never have given those things a second glance. The Furlings were pretty smart doing what they did." He looked back at the device. "Okay, let's see if we can take this thing apart."

Half an hour later, they were starting to believe that they wouldn't be able to get it apart short of blasting it to bits.

"There has to be a way of getting inside," Jacob insisted. He had a thought. "How about you go take a look at that wall and see if it tells you anything."

Figuring that he might as well since he was of no use just standing there, staring at the thing, Daniel got up. As Jacob continued his search for a way to open the device, the archeologist once again attempted to find a double meaning in the sentences on the wall. It took him thirty-five minutes to find something.

"'From the center of a flower, the bee gathers its pollen,'" he read aloud. "'No pollen can be gathered from a flower with tightly closed petals. Two is then needed for the pollen.'"

Jacob's forehead puckered. "Huh?"

"Exactly. The first two are simply statements of fact. There's no deep meaning to them, no wise observations. But then you have the third sentence, which seems to make no sense."

"So, what does the whole thing mean?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure that the tightly closed flower is the device. Saying that the bees gather pollen from the center of the flower leads me to believe that the center disk has to be used in some way to open the device."

"And the stuff about two being needed? Does that mean that you need two people?"

Daniel studied the passage. "It says 'two _is_', not 'two _are_'."

"Grammatical error?"

Daniel shook his head. "I don't think so." He came up to the device. "To unlock the device and get it to work, I had to turn this," he pointed at the tiny dot on the center disk, "to the six o'clock mark here." He rested his finger on one of the notches etched in the mental around the center.

"So, you're saying that the 'two' in the sentence is referring to the two o'clock position."

"Yeah, I think so, but it can't be that easy."

Daniel returned to the wall and looked at the next line down. He struggled with the translation.

"'The. . . .'" He frowned and shook his head. "I can't translate the next word. Okay, skip forward. 'The something encircles the world, but its . . .' I think that's waves. Ocean! That other word is ocean or maybe sea. 'The ocean encircles the world, but its waves do not move upon the shore. One must turn to see things in a different way.'"

"Okay, that one went completely over my head, Daniel."

"Yeah," the archeologist murmured, trying to figure it out. He began to mutter to himself. "The ocean encircles the world, but its waves do not move upon the shore. What the hell does that mean? I feel like I'm back on Kheb. Maybe Oma Desala took pointers from the Furlings . . . or vice versa."

Leaving the archeologist to the task of figuring it out, Jacob looked back at the device. That's when he noticed something. "Daniel, come take a look at this." The younger man walked over, and Jacob pointed at the device. "Look at the edging on the dome. Doesn't that pattern remind you of ocean waves?"

Daniel started getting excited. "You're right! I think that's it, Jacob."

"What's it? I mean, I agree this has something to do with the riddle, but what do we do now?"

"The waves encircle the dome, but they're not moving. 'One must turn to see things in a different way.' We have to turn the ring of waves. But, first, we have to turn the center disk to two o'clock."

Jacob shrugged. "It's worth a try."

The two men positioned themselves on either side of the pedestal.

"Okay, now, when I turned the . . . the dial to six, it started a timer," Daniel said, "so I'm guessing the same thing will happen this time as well, which means that we're only going to have a few seconds to turn the ring."

"Which way do we turn it?"

"That I don't know. I'm also only guessing which one is the number two since I don't know if their clock faces were numbered clockwise or counterclockwise. Since their writing reads left to right, that would lead me to believe that the numbers are positioned clockwise."

"Well, we can try to turn the ring clockwise, too."

The archeologist nodded. He turned the center disk to the two o'clock position, then he and Jacob grabbed hold of the decorative edge of the dome, and tried to turn it clockwise. It didn't budge.

"The other way," they said simultaneously.

Seeing that the timer was already almost halfway between the two and one o'clock positions, they quickly started trying to turn the ring the other way and were rewarded with a bit of movement. Putting a little more muscle into it, they got it to turn freely. They'd traveled in a full circle before it wouldn't go any further.

As the timer returned to its original position, the entire dome top began opening like flower petals. Daniel and Jacob took a few steps back to watch. The sides of the stand began opening as well. The central disk slid open, and the unlit blue orb rose from it.

Finally, everything came to a halt.

"Wow," said two voices.

Shooting a smile at each other, the men ventured forward. Jacob's eyes took in everything that was revealed.

"This is incredible," he said. "Selmak's never seen anything like it before. We couldn't even begin to figure out how this works."

"So, how do we take it apart? I'm not seeing any screws or bolts."

Jacob studied the device carefully. "I don't think we have to take it apart, not all of it. This orb appears to be one of the primary components. If we remove it, though things like opening and shutting the door may work, I doubt it will be able to send anyone back in time." He bent down and looked underneath the orb. "There appears to be a release here. Give me a hand, Daniel."

As Daniel held the orb steady, Jacob released it from its base. The two men then carefully set the orb down on the floor outside the chamber.

"So, you think that's it?" Daniel asked.

"It should be. The question is, will it close back up without the orb? I'd hate to leave it open."

Though it proved to be a lot more difficult with the dome in the open position, Daniel and Jacob managed to turn the rim back the other way, and the device closed.

"I get the feeling that the Furlings liked riddles and puzzles," Jacob remarked once everything was back to the way it was before.

"The Ancients also seemed to have a penchant for creating time devices that were hard to understand," Daniel responded, thinking about the thing on P4X-639. "And then there were the riddles that the Asgard placed in the Hall of Thor's Might to determine if the people had advanced far enough to be told the truth about their gods."

"So, you're saying that they had some kind of galactic 'confuse the lesser mortals' pact going on."

"Could be . . . although the Nox didn't strike me as the type that went for riddles and puzzles."

They left the room and looked down at the orb.

"So, what do we do with it?" Daniel wondered.

"Good question. It needs to be put someplace where it's not going to get damaged and won't accidentally be found."

Daniel turned his mind to the problem. "P3X-797," he said after a moment.

"Which one is that?"

"The Land of Light. The inhabitants are descended from the Minoan culture. Their technology is bronze age, so there's no danger of them figuring out what the thing is. Knowing Tuplo and his people, they would be honored to act as caretakers for the orb."

"Any danger that the Goa'uld will pay them a visit?"

"According to Tuplo, it's been quite a while since any came around. I'd say that it's yet another planet that the Goa'uld lost interest in."

Jacob nodded. "All right. It sounds like as good a place as any."

As Daniel had believed, the people of the Land of Light considered it to be a great honor to be entrusted with the orb and promised that they would put it someplace that would keep it from harm.

"So, now we go to the planet with the text I'm supposed to be translating?" Daniel questioned as they approached P3X-797's gate.

"Well, we can, but, the truth is that I don't really expect you to be able to translate it. I'm pretty sure that it's a completely alien language."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to take a look. We've got the time."

They headed to the planet. The gate was sitting inside a large room with metal panels etched with writing.

"We found some pieces of pretty advanced technology here," Jacob explained, "but we couldn't learn anything about the race that constructed it."

Daniel walked up to one of the panels. He'd been looking at it for about ten seconds when he began to smile.

"Don't tell me," Jacob said. "You can actually read it?"

"As a matter of fact, I can . . . well, at least in a limited capacity. This is a language that Decimus was teaching me. The race called themselves the Kenfara. From what Decimus knew, they died out around twenty-five hundred years ago."

Jacob shook his head with a smile. "Amazing. So, you really might be able to help us on this. And here I thought that I was going to have to tell the Tok'ra that it had been a wasted trip."

"Well, I'll try my best."

They spent the rest of the day there, Daniel spending most of his time translating the writing. Jacob spent a good part of his time watching.

_'He is the one Egeria spoke of when she said that all that she was now was thanks to one who gave her trust when most in his place would have given only hatred,'_ Selmak said to his host. _'I could never get her to tell me his name.'_

_'Selmak, do you get the feeling that Daniel doesn't recognize the significance of what he did?'_

_'Yes. He firmly believes that Egeria would have become a Tok'ra even without his guidance. I do not agree.'_

_'I tend to feel that way, too, but Daniel did make a valid point that there had to be a beginning of the loop, a first time that he went back in time. What happened in the original timeline? From what you've shared with me, I can tell that Egeria really loved what she'd built on Estrania. I can't picture her leaving there if she didn't have to, yet the city must have been abandoned when SG-1 came through that first time. Otherwise, they wouldn't have made it to the Furling ruins. So, what happened?'_

_'That is a good question,'_ Selmak stated. _'Unfortunately, we'll never know the answer.'_

* * *

Daniel's translation efforts, though yielding a lot of interesting information, didn't give the Tok'ra anything that would really help them. They thanked him anyway and told him that if they ever encountered other samples of the writing, they would contact him.

The archeologist headed home, where Jack complained about the Tok'ra wasting their time. Daniel didn't say anything in response. He had really been hoping that the translation would be of some value.

Ever since he'd returned to the present, Daniel's desire to contribute to the downfall of the Goa'uld was stronger than ever. He kept thinking of Egeria, everything she sacrificed to end the reign of the Goa'uld, how important and significant the things she did were. She'd had so much pride in him when she learned that he was part of a movement to put an end to the Goa'uld, but he really didn't feel all that deserving of that pride. How much had he really accomplished? He didn't think it was enough.

As the months passed, Daniel's feelings about not having done enough continued to grow. And then, more a year after his trip back in time, SG-1 went on the fateful mission to Kelowna. As Daniel lay dying, he admitted to Oma Desala that he believed his whole life was a failure, that nothing he did made enough of a difference. In his own mind, he had the thought that Egeria would have been disappointed in him.

As he ascended, he hoped that, at last, he would finally be able to do enough to be worthy of the pride the queen of the Tok'ra had in him.

* * *

She was dying. This Egeria knew. For so many years, the people of Pangar had made her spawn over and over again to provide them with larvae that they used to create their drug. There had been so many times when she wished Ra had killed her instead of putting her in stasis.

She was so tired. She wished to sleep and never wake up. It would be soon now. One more spawning cycle, perhaps two, and it would be over. She was glad, though, that, before dying, she was given the opportunity to see two of her children. More than that, she was excited by the sight of the others. Even after all this time, Egeria had recognized the strange clothing, clothing she saw for the first time on the body of the man she had come to love. These were Daniel's people! She wondered why it was that their clothing had not changed in all this time and why it was that they appeared to have the same devices he did, but she thought of that for only a moment. What mattered was that her children and Daniel's people appeared to have at last formed an alliance, just as she'd hoped they would. Daniel would have been so happy to know this.

But what of the Jaffa who had been at their side? He bore the mark of Apophis' First Prime. Could it be that, after so long of being enslaved to the will and power of the Goa'uld, the Jaffa were rising up against their masters? That was something Egeria could never have dreamed would happen. If it was true, then the days of the Goa'uld were surely numbered.

Egeria's mind turned to something that she had thought of often. Many humans and other races believed in an afterlife, that even after one's final breath was taken, life continued. The Goa'uld had no such beliefs, although, with their colossal egos, one would think that they would be certain they'd live for eternity in some form.

Egeria hoped that the people who believed such things were right, that, after death, the spirit passed on to another realm. Her sole reason for hoping this was that she might see Daniel on the other side. Even if he could not be hers in that afterlife, just to see him again would bring her such joy.

At that moment, a soft white light filled Egeria's vision, and she suddenly found herself standing in a strange, surreal version of her sitting room in the palace on Estrania. She looked at a hazy reflection of herself in a mirror and saw that she was in the body of Arria, the host she had long ago.

"Egeria."

She turned, a gasp escaping her lips upon seeing the beloved face she had not seen in over two thousand years.

"Daniel?"

He smiled and came up to her. "Yeah. It's me, Egeria."

Thinking that her dearest wish had come true, Egeria asked, "Am I dead?"

The smile left Daniel's lips, replaced by a look of sadness. "No, not yet, but you're very weak. I don't know how much longer you'll survive. I wish I could do something about that, but the others won't let me."

"Please explain what is happening. How can you be here?"

"There are things I didn't tell you because I believed that the risk was too great. What I said about being involved in an effort to bring down the Goa'uld was true, but what I _didn't_ say was that what I was talking about had yet to happen. I was not from that time, Egeria. I had accidentally traveled back in time over two thousand years, from _this_ time. After we said goodbye, I managed to get back home to my time. For me, it has been only two years since I saw you."

Though stunned by his revelation, Egeria accepted it without question. "I saw the humans who are here with my children. Are they your people?"

Daniel's smile returned, though it was much softer this time and held a touch of wistfulness. "Yeah. They're my friends. They don't know I'm here, though. It's . . . kind of hard to explain. My people are the Tau'ri, Egeria, from the first world, Earth. We're free from the Goa'uld now, have been for a long time. It took a while, but they finally left us alone. Since then, we've advanced far. As you've seen, we are now allied with the Tok'ra against the Goa'uld and have already brought down some of them. Ra was the first to go. Hathor's dead, too."

Egeria smiled in delight. "It brings me great pleasure to know that the symbiotes you helped to create are now your allies and that you have succeeded in destroying some of the Goa'uld."

"It's been a long road, but I do think that Earth, the Tok'ra, and the Jaffa friends we now have will eventually bring the Goa'uld down."

The Tok'ra queen studied Daniel closely. There was something about him, a feeling of power and otherworldliness. "What has happened to you, Daniel?"

"It's a long story, Egeria, one I don't have time to tell you. I'm no longer human. I have ascended to a plane of existence above the one you exist upon. I'm pure energy now."

Egeria was amazed. Her Daniel was now a being superior to the Goa'uld. What did he look like in his natural form?

"May I see what you look like?" she asked.

Egeria watched as the figure of the man she knew was transformed into a being of light and energy. He was beautiful. And she knew without asking that he was also immortal.

She smiled as his form returned to its human appearance. "I rejoice that this has happened, my Daniel. It fills me with happiness that you will live forever, for you above all deserve it."

Daniel's eyes flickered away from hers for a moment, then returned. "If I could, I'd help you ascend, too, Egeria, but I'm not allowed to because of what you are, what you used to be."

"A Goa'uld."

Daniel nodded. "I've been told that there is too much of a danger that the power you'd gain with ascension would bring out the lust for power that is inherent in the Goa'uld. _I_ know that it wouldn't, but—"

"It is all right, Daniel," Egeria interrupted gently. "I am prepared for death. In fact, I welcome it. It is time for me to rest."

Daniel came up to her the rest of the way. He laid his hand upon her arm.

"I want you to know that I forgave you, Egeria. I know that what you did was unintentional, and I don't hold it against you."

Tears of joy filled Egeria's eyes. "I am so glad, my Daniel." Through the blur of tears, she took in every inch of his face, the face she had loved so well. It was so good to see him again. "Please. May I hold you?"

Daniel smiled and nodded, pulling her into a gentle embrace. She clung to him as the tears fell.

The hug was far too short for Egeria. When Daniel drew back, the look in his eyes told her that he had to leave.

"I have to go now. I wish I could stay longer. Don't tell anyone about me coming to you. It needs to remain a secret."

"I will tell no one." Egeria touched his cheek as she had many times all those centuries ago. "Thank you for coming to me, for telling me these things. I will die happy now."

Daniel nodded, blinking away tears from his own eyes. He backed away half a step.

"Farewell, my beloved Daniel," Egeria said. "In all these years, I never stopped loving you."

One of Daniel's tears broke free. "I still care about you, too, Egeria."

The mother of the Tok'ra nodded, noting that he did not speak the word "love" back to her. But she had already known that her love was never returned and had accepted that long ago.

"There is something I wish you to know as well," she said. "I was never angry or bitter that you did not return my love. No creature in this universe can rule their own heart, and I would never have wanted you to become my lover if your heart did not want it as much as I did. Though I dearly wish that there could have been more between us, just having your love as a friend was more precious to me than I could ever express."

His throat too tight to speak, Daniel nodded, more tears sliding down his face. He reached out a hand and ran the backs of his fingers across her cheek, his eyes telling her all that he was feeling.

As Daniel's form began to fade, the light around Egeria brightened. The last thing she heard before the place she was in faded away to be replaced by the real world was Daniel saying, "I will never forget you, Egeria."

* * *

With a deep sense of sorrow, Daniel stood, silent and unseen, as Egeria's shroud-covered body was taken to the Stargate. The Tok'ra queen's final act had been to save the lives of the very people who had put her through so much suffering. It didn't surprise Daniel one bit. He should have been allowed to help her ascend. If there was anyone who deserved it, it was her.

Daniel was growing frustrated with the laws of the Ascended. He was trying hard not to be, but, ever since the incident with Jack, when he'd had to pretty much sneak around behind the backs of the other Ascended to help his friend, he'd started to become disillusioned with the whole ascension thing. He had not yet met any of the other Ascended, but, from what he'd learned, they were clearly set in their ways regarding their rules, and it was likely that nothing he said to them would make any difference.

He sensed the presence of someone behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at Oma.

"You are sad," she said as she came up to him.

"Of course I'm sad, Oma. I cared about her very much. She was a remarkable person."

"You are angry that I would not let you help her ascend."

"Yes, I'm angry. How else do you expect me to feel? You were wrong about her. She wouldn't have turned evil if she'd ascended. You've spent thousands of years helping all sorts of people reach ascension, yet you wouldn't let me help her, someone who really deserved it, because of what she used to be. Apparently, it didn't matter what she had become."

Oma could hear the deep bitterness in his voice. "I am sorry, Daniel. I can only say that I did what I believed was necessary."

Daniel turned away from her, not wanting to talk to her anymore. He really wished that she'd just go away and leave him to grieve alone.

Daniel watched as the gate was activated and Egeria's body was taken through. After she was gone, he remained until his ex-teammates were also gone, then he turned and walked away, hoping that Oma would now leave. But, apparently, she was determined to hang around.

"I sense that you are troubled about something else as well," she said.

Daniel halted. "You want to know what else is bothering me? I was thinking that I was glad that Egeria never learned that the man she was so proud of was a failure, that he never accomplished much of anything in his human life, and, even as an immortal, incredibly powerful being, still hasn't been able to do much that would make a difference."

"And yet this is so untrue, Daniel," Oma told him.

Daniel rounded upon her. "Okay, so tell me one thing I did that made a significant difference, that really mattered, one thing that wasn't just a case of sheer dumb luck, of simply stumbling into some situation that enabled me to get some important information."

"I could name many such things, Daniel, but I will name only one: your role in creating the Tok'ra."

"Just another case of dumb luck plopping me down in the right place at the right time."

"It was not luck that made you choose to attempt to guide Egeria to becoming a Tok'ra when, instead, you could have remained silent. It was not luck that enabled you to find the right words to say to her, to make her see things in a new light. Opening her heart with the gift of your friendship and trust was not a matter of good fortune. These things were done by you, and there was no other who could have done the same."

Daniel shook his head. "What Egeria did would have happened regardless sooner or later, even if I hadn't gone back in time and met her. It would have just taken a little longer."

"That, Daniel, is not so."

He stared at her closely. "What are you saying?"

"The Ascended cannot see the future, but we can look upon the past and see a pattern of what might have been if events had happened differently. If you had never gone to that time, if Egeria had never met you, the Tok'ra would never have come to be, and all that has been accomplished because of their existence would not have happened."

Daniel wasn't sure he could believe her. "Oma, are you certain of this?"

"I am quite certain."

Daniel turned and walked off a few paces. Had he actually done something that made a real, concrete difference? He desperately wanted to believe that.

Oma stepped up to him. "Egeria had good reason to feel pride in you, Daniel. She would recognize that you are not and have never been a failure. Through your many actions, decisions and sacrifices, you have altered the course of history and have played an important role in defeating evil many times."

He looked at her. "So, what happened to all that stuff about us being so small and the universe so vast?"

Oma smiled wisely. "The lowly worm is a tiny, humble thing, and yet, without it, there would be no growing things. If there were no growing things, there would be no creatures to eat them and no creatures to consume the ones that eat the growing things. If it were not for that tiny, humble worm, the circle of life would have been broken."

Saying nothing more, Oma smiled and vanished.

Daniel stood unmoving for a long while, then he looked up into the sky, thinking that maybe, just maybe, Egeria would have had some reason to be proud of him after all.

* * *

Daniel laid down the mission report about Pangar, which he had just finished reading. For a while now, he'd been intending to read it and the other reports of what went on while he was ascended, but hadn't gotten around to it. The recent events on Erebus and what occurred before then had renewed his curiosity, especially about the origin of Tretonin, the drug that ended Teal'c's reliance on a symbiote. If his teammates had told him what happened on Pangar and the shocking discovery they made there, he would have read the report long before now.

So, what the Tok'ra had believed was wrong. Egeria had not been killed by Ra all those centuries ago. She was put in a stasis jar, just like what happened to Osiris and Isis. The jar was eventually found by the Pangarans, and Egeria was forced to spawn larvae for their own use. It made him angry that she had to suffer through that. Yet, if that had not happened, Tretonin would never have been created, and, not only would both Teal'c and Bra'tac be dead, the Jaffa would also have no way to eliminate their reliance on the Goa'uld to survive.

Daniel wished that he'd been there on that mission just so that he could have talked to her again, let her know the things he couldn't tell her before. He wished he could have told her that he'd completely forgiven her.

With a sigh, Daniel closed the file folder and got up from the desk. He was nearly at the door when he was frozen in place by a sudden flash of memory, like what happened when he recalled the events on Erebus. Stunned, he stood still as his mind was flooded with memories of him and Egeria in a realm much like what Oma took him to when he was dying.

As the flash of memory faded, Daniel smiled. He _was_ there. He _did_ speak to Egeria. He was given the opportunity to tell her the truth about him. More important than that, he was able to say that he'd forgiven her. She had died content with that knowledge.

Knowing what he did now about Anubis, Daniel understood why it was that Oma could not allow him to ascend Egeria. Though the Tok'ra queen was nothing at all like the evil, half-ascended Goa'uld, the concern that her ascension would have ended up producing another ascended being like Anubis would have made Oma and the others unwilling to take the chance. He still wished that he could have helped Egeria ascend, but he couldn't be mad at Oma for refusing to allow it. He knew that Egeria would have understood as well.

As Daniel walked out of his office he decided that maybe the time had come to finally tell his friends about the amazing adventure he had in the distant past with one of the most extraordinary women he'd ever met, a woman he would remember for the rest of his life.

THE END . . . or is it?

* * *

Okay, before you get the noose or start screaming at me, please read the following words:

**T****here is going to be a sequel, Egeria will be in it, and it will have a Daniel/Egeria pairing.**

There. Feel better now? :-D Yep, that's the surprise I told you about. Actually, it was a surprise to me as well. When I started this story, I had no intention of carrying it further than this fic, but I just have to give Egeria a happy ending. So, how will I manage to have her in the story? You'll just have to wait and see. Unlike this story, that one will definitely be AU, so expect anything to happen.

Now onto my explanations for why I could not have this story go the various ways that people wanted it to go.

**ALTERNATE ENDING #1:** Daniel stays in the past, becomes a Tok'ra, and uses the sarcophagus to stay alive. He and Egeria become lovers, and he manages to survive the next 2,000 years, eventually meeting up with his teammates and shocking the hell out of them.

**Problems With This Ending:** Well, first of all, we have the fact that it would be one of Egeria's own children who would be blended with the man who was her lover, meaning that, for all intents and purposes, she would be having a sexual relationship with one of her own kids. Apparently, that wouldn't have bothered Egeria since that's what she was thinking of doing, but they sort of had a different viewpoint on incest back in ancient times. Look at what the Egyptians did, and mythology is full of close blood relatives getting it on with each other. My reaction, however, is still "Ewww!"

Now onto the important stuff. It is impossible to predict all the effects Daniel's presence in the past throughout all those years would have on the timeline, and you can't assume that the changes would all be good. But let's say that Daniel makes every effort to minimize his impact on the future, not doing anything stupid, like throwing out all concerns for changes to the timeline and deliberately seeking to make things "better". Therefore, there aren't any enormous changes up to the point in time where the series started, and he manages to arrange things so that Earth and the Tok'ra meet up at the proper time. Of course, he could not arrange for Sam to still be taken by Jolinar. If that still happened, it would be mere coincidence. It would also take some real tricky maneuvering for him to make sure that Jacob becomes Selmak's host. Then we come to all the stuff that happens after the point in history when Daniel got sent back in time. Even if he rejoined SG-1 as a Tok'ra, there is no way that major events vital to the future of Earth would happen the same way.

The list below only has really important changes, the ones that could or definitely would have a major impact on the history of Earth and/or the galaxy or result in the death of a major character.

First, there's "The Curse". If Daniel was a Tok'ra, he'd immediately sense that Sarah was a Goa'uld. He'd do something to stop her, and Osiris would not escape. Now, this could be a good thing or a bad thing. It all depends on what happens later.

Second, there's "Exodus/Enemies". What do you think Apophis would do when he captures SG-1 and discovers that Daniel is now a Tok'ra? He's going to be pretty doggone curious, now isn't he. Daniel just might not survive that curiosity.

Third comes "2001". It was Daniel finding and reading that newspaper that clued the SGC into the fact that all was not as it appeared to be with the Aschen. What are the odds that all those events would take place the same way?

Number Four is "Summit/Last Stand". This is a big one. If Daniel was a Tok'ra, he could not have gone on the mission. Therefore, the Tok'ra would have found someone else, someone who would have no qualms against killing all the System Lords with their hosts. So, we get a bunch of dead System Lords, and the way is left open for Anubis to take over everything.

I'm not going to count "Fail Safe" as Number Five because chances are that Daniel would still manage to think of bringing the meteor into hyperspace. So, Number Five is "Meridian". It's unlikely that Daniel's symbiote would be able to heal radiation poisoning since it would have been poisoned, too. However, if, at this point, Daniel still has access to a sarcophagus, he could just be healed by it. And if there is no sarcophagus anymore, do you really think that Oma would offer a 2,000-year-old Tok'ra Daniel ascension? I have my doubts about that. And even if she did, he would very likely turn her down once he sensed that Jacob was attempting to heal him because he wouldn't want to leave Egeria. So, one way or another, Daniel would probably not ascend. Think about the impact on Season 6 and beyond that this would cause.

And, speaking of Season 6, what about "Cure?" If Daniel remained with Egeria, he'd make darn sure that she was never caught by Ra. Therefore, she would never be put in that stasis jar to be found by the Pangarans many hundreds of years later. This, in turn, means that Tretonin would not be created. Teal'c and Bra'tac would both die at the end of "Changling", and the Jaffa would have no way to end their reliance on the Goa'uld to survive.

I could keep going on and on like this, on into the rest of the seasons, but I'm not going to bother. I've made my point. Anyone who really takes a look at all the episodes and thinks about how changes to what happened could have major impacts on the future of Earth and the galaxy is going to see how important it is that things happened as they did.

So, what if Daniel becomes a Tok'ra but doesn't rejoin SG-1? Just by looking at some of the things above, you should be able to get an idea on how the lack of his presence would have disastrous consequences.

**ALTERNATE ENDING #2:** Daniel stays in the past and either remains an unblended human or becomes a Tok'ra and does not use the sarcophagus.

**Problems With This Ending:** Not only would this result in disastrous changes to the timeline, it would also put Egeria through the hell of watching the man she loves grow old and die.

**ALTERNATE ENDING #3:** Daniel goes back in time at some point before Egeria was captured by Ra and takes her to the future with him. (He couldn't take her before then because then the rest of the Tok'ra wouldn't be born.)

**Problems With This Ending:** Again, no Tretonin, no saving Teal'c and Bra'tac, and no way for the Jaffa to end their reliance on the Goa'uld.

**ALTERNATE ENDING #4** (added to address points brought up by a couple of reviews). Same as #1, except that Daniel decides that he doesn't give a damn about preserving the timeline and decides to do things during those 2,000 years that radically alters the course of history.

**Problems with this Ending:** Let's say that, with Daniel's help and knowledge of the future, the Tok'ra become so strong that they defeat a great many of the System Lords. So, what about Ra? If he is killed before the events of the Stargate movie, then the entire visit to Abydos would happen differently. Daniel would very likely never join SG-1. The same would happen if Apophis was killed before he was in the original timeline. So, what would this accomplish? A paradox. If Daniel never joined SG-1, he'd never go on the mission to Estrania, which means that he wouldn't go back in time and meet Egeria. History would then come full circle, and we'd be right back to that original timeline Oma talked about, in which the Tok'ra never existed. Oh, but, in that case, all the changes _wouldn't_ happen, and Daniel _would_ go to Estrania, and. . . . Shall I go on? Time paradoxes are ugly things and are impossible to resolve. You either have to go with a divergent universe theory, where time splits off into a new universe, or just say that, somehow, everything will get sorted out in the end.

But, hey, let's not stop there. What about all those Goa'uld who were still visiting Earth 2,000 years ago. Surely, some of them would bite the dust earlier in time, which would alter Earth's history if for no other reason than that people who were taken from Earth wouldn't be. So, would Daniel even be born at all? Would Jack or Sam? What about Teal'c? It's unlikely that Teal'c would ever exist in this radically altered timeline.

The more I think about it, the bigger my headache gets. There is a good chance that some if not all of the Stargate characters would not be born or would have lives so different that, if, by some miracle, the Stargate Program still came to be, it wouldn't have the same SG-1 and would have a whole lot of other personnel that would not be the same. In other words, we'd end up with a mixed up mess like Moebius, which was a complete joke when it came to the time travel stuff. And this is just the changes to Earth's history. There would be entire civilizations out in the galaxy that would never exist because people were never brought to those planets by the Goa'uld. What kind of ramifications would that have?

Of course, this leads to one of the major issues with this Alternate Ending: how stupid Daniel would have to be to do that. I could actually picture Jack not thinking of all the ramifications and believing that it would be a stellar idea to wipe out the Goa'uld ahead of time. He didn't seem to have any concern for major changes to the timeline in Moebius (and look what that resulted in). But Daniel isn't like Jack. He actually understands that you can't play it fast and loose with history.

This is the problem with all of these alternate endings, that it would require Daniel to just ignore the fact that he could cause very big and potentially catastrophic changes to the timeline by either staying with Egeria or taking her with him. Do you honestly think he'd do that so that he and Egeria could stay together and he could save her? Come on. That's not Daniel. He's not that selfish nor that foolish and irresponsible.

History and the events of the series had to play out like they did. This story was always intended not to be AU, not to alter anything that happened in the series up through "Cure". As much as people would have liked to see a happier ending to this story, logic and common sense had to prevail. I am not the kind of writer who can ignore how altering major events in the series will impact later events. You'll just have to wait for the sequel to get the happy ending.

Now, those of you who got ticked off partway through this chapter and skipped to the note, go on back and read the rest of the chapter.


End file.
